


War Zone

by KyraP



Series: Mages in Undertale [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: "Human" mages, F/M, Mage!Reader, Magic, More characters to be added, War, War of Humans and Monsters, general!grillby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-13
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-06-02 02:53:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6547729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyraP/pseuds/KyraP
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The war between monsters and humans have been raging for years now, and neither side shows any sign of giving up. Humans are more determined than ever to win the war, and now are "recruiting" mages to fight for them. Many mages aren't too enthusiastic to join the human ranks, however. The reader is no exception. But during one of her first battles, she encounters a certain monster general.</p><p>Let's just say things get a bit <i>heated</i></p><p> </p><p>Based on the link below, and the mention of humans using magic in the game. This one's kinda out there in terms of canon stretching, so please read this with an open mind. Reader is non-player character and is/identifies as female. </p><p>http://ask-grillby.tumblr.com/post/134550151500/so-ive-been-thinking-about-ltcolgrillby</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Has semi-graphic descriptions of war. Reader discretion is advised.

The heat was overwhelming. Everywhere she looked, flames flickered toward the night sky, a dense walls of fire enveloping whole units in one fair blow. The screams rattled her skull and shook the ground. She didn't want to fight. She didn't want to be here. But, then again, neither did the monsters. They never asked for this. They never wanted to fight. But humans were blood thirsty creatures. Sometimes (Name) wondered if human souls were made of anything at all. She leaned against a nearby tree, enjoying the moment away from the bloodbath.

Suddenly, a man rode in in front of her, blocking her view of the carnage, and effectively cutting off her train of thought.

"You're not being paid to observe," the man said forcefully.

She shot a glare toward the taller man, "You're not paying me at all."

He scowled at the defiant reply. He unsheathed his sword and pointed it towards her, nearly grazing her nose, "Your kind is being paid with your lives. Now follow orders, or I'll be taking my payment back."

She shot another frown at the man, but did as she was told. She heard the galloping of the man's horse behind him, as she approached the battlefield. It was obvious that the battlefield was once a peaceful meadow, but now was a burning pit of death and destruction, much like how humans described "Hell." 

This might as well be Hell, she thought. She looked around, absorbing the chaos and analyzing where the most effective use of her time might be.

She saw a wall of flames that was cutting off the soldiers' supplies and decided that she was most needed there. She sprinted between the trees and soldiers until she arrived at the flames. The wall was nearly 10 feet high, with no way around or through it. It perked her interest for a moment; no monster could have erected this without an extensive familiarity of fire. And no monster had that level of experience with such a destructive element, other than-. She shook the thought out of her head, the battle was still raging. She had no time to ponder if she was going to survive.

She breathed in slowly, focusing all her energy at a single point in front of her. She felt the air become moist around her as her hands went higher and higher, willing the air to become moister and moister. Soon she couldn't raise her hands any higher, but the rushing of water behind her told her that she didn't have to. She lowered her arms steadily, holding her hands in front of her chest. She closed her eyes, and breathed out, as she forcefully pushed her hands forward. The water split behind her, just big enough for her to fit through, and rushed forward in huge tidal wave. The wave crashed on the wall of fire, extinguishing it. The soldiers rushed forward replenishing there supplies and then back on to the battle field, not caring that it was sopping wet and slightly singed.

(Name) sighed a breath of relief, and turned around to provide her services elsewhere. Then, she heard the faint crackle of fire behind her and turned around and saw the wall raise again, twice as high than the last, but instead of burning a vibrant orange, this inferno burned white hot. 

A curious hand reached out, and although all instincts told her not to, she stuck her hand into the blaze. She shut her eyes, expecting indescribable pain, but instead only a faint warmness flickered against her fingers. She inspected the inferno, trying to find some reasonable explanation for this. She reached in further, until her entire forearm was consumed by flames, but still felt no pain. When the other soldiers saw her arm inside the fire, but no pain registering on her face, they tried for themselves, only to get singed on contact. She quickly contracted her hand from the fire, not wanting to encourage more to try. 

She forced herself to turn away from the blaze, only a two human units remained against the monsters, and try as they might, they were fighting a losing battle. The general was a stubborn man, incapable of admitting that they had lost, even if it meant saving his own men's lives. She scowled at the thought of the general, it were humans like him that caused this war, and were going to be the ones to end it, for better or worse. She was about to walk away, this battle was already a lost cause, she could've easily gotten away from the human military and this pointless war. But for some reason, she couldn't pull herself to do it. Something made her want to stay. 

She approached the battle field with extreme caution. To her right was a unit of around 30 men with the general behind them, and to her left was a near identical unit. All of the soldiers stood tall, as they were trained to do, but she could tell they were terrified. She lingered behind the unit on her right, beside the general, when she saw the king weave his way through the rows of monsters. He stood before the human army and sheathed his weapon. The general steered to meet him. Even on horseback, the king was a head taller than the general, his fur was covered in dirt and dried blood and his regal clothes were singed. The monster army stood down at the sight of their king.

"We wish not to fight anymore, humans. No more blood will be shed here if you surrender. We will take no prisoners, all of you may leave unharmed," the king said. The soldiers glanced at their commander, who pursed his lips at the offer but made no move to interrupt the him. "But if you do not, we will be forced to finish what you started."

The general thought the offer over, brows furrowed and lips pursed. He scowled, and before he even spoke, she already knew the answer.

"Never!" the general yelled in response, unsheathing his sword. "We won't submit to you monsters any longer!"

The general swung at the king, who barely avoided the blow. He raised his sword to strike once more, and before (Name) could process what she was doing, she jumped forward and cast a spell to hold the general back. His arm struggled against the pull of her invisible binds. The king and his army stood in shock, his arm still reaching for his weapon to defend himself with. The king quickly drew back behind the frontline, looking at (Name) with silent appreciation and sympathy. The two armies resumed the battle, as (Name) released the general. He rode to her and drew his sword.

"Treacherous witch!" He exclaimed, "I knew we should have never let your kind join our ranks!"

His hand rose above his head, ready to strike. She bent her head down, waiting for the sharp pain of his blade, when a wall of white hot fire erected itself between her and the general, between her and everything; she was surrounded by the inferno, and something told her it wasn't safe to touch this time.

She couldn't see beyond the blaze, but the sounds around her were unmistakeable. All she could hear were the pained screams of humans and monsters alike as they met their demise. She even heard the general's voice curse out the monsters as he fell with a thud nearby. It lasted nearly an eternity, until a final scream swept across the battlefield as it fell into a eerie quiet. The sounds of nature had been obliterated; crickets didn't chirp, birds didn't sing, leaves didn't rustle, even the fire didn't crackle around her. The quiet was overpowering. She heard the faint sounds of orders being called to the monster army as footsteps trailed off to the distance.

She was alone. The monsters had returned to their camp and left her out there in a fiery cage. Suddenly, the quiet murmur of monsters approached her, one was the regal voice of the king the other was voice that she didn't recognize; it was soft, sturdy, and smooth, it spoke to the king as equals, but with a distinct tone of authority.

The murmuring stopped and the footsteps became softer and softer until she was left with the silence once again, but she still felt the presence of someone. A moment of quiet swept through the area, the quiet before the storm.

"What are you doing here?" A voice asked, the same that spoke to the king. "We didn't expect someone like you here."

"I suppose I could ask you the same question," she replied, sharply, "You and your kind have sworn off violence many centuries ago."

"You betrayed your own kin; fellow magic users, siding with the compassion-less humans. Why?"

"That doesn't answer my question."

"You didn't answer mine," they said, obviously irritable. He paused, awaiting her response. And when none came, he raised his hand slowly toward the sky, willing the wall of fire surrounding (Name) to creep toward her. 

"You are in no position to disobey," he reminded her. "Now answer my question, witch."

(Name) grimaced at the term; humans have been using that term for generations to oppress her kind, and unlike the monsters, they never thought of assimilating it. She preferred the term sorcerer or even magician; anything but witch, or even worse, illusionist.

She started to feel the heat as the walls pushed in around her, squeezing any answer out of her.

"My people were threatened with extinction to join the human ranks as healers and protectors against monster magic. I have no quarrel with monster-kind."

There was a pause, the walls stopped closing in. They were not close enough to burn her, but close enough that if she made a wrong move they would.

"How can I be sure?" The monster asked. "How can I be sure that you won't try to kill me and my army if I let you out? Your kind have the soul and shape of humans and the magic of monsters. Not even you know what you're capable of."

"I won't," she replied.

"Prove it."

"Your king is alive."

There was a long pause between the two. (Name) was unsure if he'd accept her response, even though she saved the king's life, she was a prisoner of war, subject to any punishment the monsters seemed fit. Her kind were seen as traitors in the monsters eyes; a former ally turned to cause of their destruction.

"Most of my people didn't choose to join the war, out of the few who joined the war effort, only I fight on the war front," He said, willing the walls around her to descend.

When the smoke finally cleared (quite literally), before her stood a very regal looking fire elemental; he was nearly 7 feet tall (approx. 183 cm) with orange flames flickering on his form, he wore armor that looked more like a king's and less like a general's with a red cape that was tattered and singed from previous battles. Like most elementals, he didn't have much of a face, but instead had bright white marks where his eyes and mouth should be. He opened his mouth to say something to her, and she saw that his the mouth was jagged and looked almost sewn together, opening in some places and shut in others. It might have been frightening to many humans, but she found it rather remarkable. He was about to speak when a small, rabbit like monster made their way toward them. His fur was tan with light brown spots and the tips of his ears were dusted white.

"The king requests your and the witch's presence at once, General Grillby." the young monster said handing him a small paper.

The term made (Name) grimace again. Why were people so hellbent on using that word? It was one of the most offensive words someone could use to describe her people, and no sorcerer took kindly to the use of it. Once the young monster left they made their way to the monster base. Grillby made sure there was no way for her to escape, though escaping never once crossed her mind.

They made their way through the forest, toward the monster home base

"Is something wrong?" Grillby asked after a bit of silence. "You seemed a bit tense while I was talking to Hun Bun."

She smiled slightly at the name, "Hun Bun" fit the young rabbit monster perfectly.

"Nothing," She replied. "It's just that..." She stopped herself from speaking anymore, last time she told a non-sorcerer about her dislike of the term, she was quickly shot down by the ignorant humans. She had a feeling monsters might be the same way.

"Just what?" Grillby inquired. "If you have something you want to tell me, you better do it before we make it to base."

She didn't understand why she had to tell him before they were on base, but decided it was in her best interest to follow his instructions.

"My..." she faltered for a moment, doubting that he would accept her explanation. "My people don't like the term 'witch,'" she said, not meeting his (literal) burning gaze. "We find it oppressing, and I still haven't met one of my people who take kindly to the term."

"Then what would you like to be called?"

"Sorcerers or wizards are what we usually refers ourselves as, basically anything but 'witch.' Some of us tend to like the term 'mage' as well."

Grillby turned his harsh stare away from (Name), and continued walking to the base in silence. (Name) didn't try to start a conversation; there was nothing more that could be said. A long silence crept between the two, (Name) watched the trees pass, occasionally seeing a mage's cant burned onto the trees, an ancient form of writing only known to wizards and sorcerers. One in particular said, "Beware the light from above." She stopped in her tracks, which made Grillby come to a quick halt. He looked at her curiously as she studied the tree.

She touched the singed bark of the wood, many cants could only be read by touch, much like human braille but activated with magic, so that if a master or human did manage to learn the language, only part of the message could be known.

"Beware the light from above. They who burn the holy and impure to ashes, sending us away from heavens' light and toward the darkness of world below."

She lifted he hand away from the tree, lips pursed in thought. Most wizards were not religious people, they rejected the humans' blatant disregard for magic instead replaced with an omnipotent force pulling the strings for them. Hell was a word wizards only used to describe death, and Heaven was order or fate.

That would mean that this light will bring death to all, and destroy order in the world... She thought. But what does the world below mean?"

"Is something wrong?" Grillby asked, interrupting her train of thought.

She hesitated for a moment. "No, it's-." She backed away from the tree and returned to her spot next to Grillby. "It's nothing."

He opened his mouth to press her for answers, but she looked a bit spooked by what ever was on that tree, so he decided to ask her later. They resumed walking to the monster base. The closer they were to the camp, the less cants there were, mostly warning wizards not to approach the monsters. She started to wonder how her kind was treated by the monsters during the war, when a soft voice interrupted her inner monologue.

"...name," Grillby said quietly. "What is your name?"

She looked up at him, surprised at the sudden question. The only humans that ever asked for her name were those responsible for documenting her forced draft into the human militia, and even then they forgot it the next day. 

"(Full Name)," She replied. "Your's is Grillby, correct?

He nodded and let a short moment of silence pass before he said, "We're close to the base. When we get there, you are to do exactly as I say, do you understand?"

She simply nodded in response, she had no other choice.

When they reached the base, (Name) was met with the sounds of the monsters celebrating their latest triumph.

Just as they were about to enter, Grillby held out his arm, signaling for her to stop. He looked around, for any listening ears, then turned back to her.

"When we enter, you are to stay directly by my side until I tell you so. Avoid eye contact with any monsters, even those who don't look threatening. Keep your hands behind your back and don't raise them above your waist." He paused for a moment. "And disregard what I say or do while in there, it'll be more difficult doing this any other way."

Before she could question him, he grabbed her shoulder and pulled in close to him. The gates to the monster camp opened, and all the noise suddenly stopped. She looked down at the ground and put her hands behind her, following his instructions. Even though she couldn't see the monsters, she could feel them staring directly at her and Grillby. Though, she knew that it was mostly her they were staring at. At first glance, even to monsters, she looked like a normal human, making the monsters hostile, but being a wizard is no better, in fact, it would probably be worse.

Grillby roughly pushed her through the crowd, keeping a vice grip on her. Soon enough the monsters resumed their celebration. They moved out of her and Grillby’s way, but were much less concerned with her now that they knew that Grillby was in charge of her. The two were approaching a large tent with two large silhouettes, one being the king's and the other being a much more feminine form. Two monsters stood guard in front of it and scowled at (Name) as she approached. She quickly looked away, remembering Grillby's instructions.

"Almost there." Grillby whispered under his breath.

Just as he said that, a monster noticed the two and approached. The monster was a tall skeleton with crack coming down from their right socket running down to their chin like a tear track. He was tall enough to meet Grillby eye to eye, and wore the same uniform as he did, except that his cape was white with red splatters at the edges. 

Grillby sighed quietly. “Avenir…”

“Hey Grillbz,” Avenir said, putting a hand on Grillby’s shoulder. “Great work today, heard you gave ‘em hell.”

“Sent them to hell where they belong,” Grillby said, his voice was different than the one used when speaking to (Name) or the king. This voice had a hint of playfulness, but was still the stoic voice she was familiar with.

“That’s our Hellfire,” Avenir said proudly, patting Grillby on the shoulder. He looked down at (Name) who was doing her best to avoid eye contact with the skeleton. 

“And who might this be?” He asked. “Your new pet, Grillby?” 

Grillby flinched, his hand suddenly tightened around (Name)'s shoulder then released as suddenly as it tightened. “Cute little thing, isn't she?"

"She is. What's your name, human?" Avenir said, using his hand to push her head to look up at him.

"(Name)," Grillby replied before (Name) could.

"Were you always called that, or did Grillbz name you?" Avenir asked with a laugh.

"You know I couldn't come up with a name that fitting."

Avenir laughed, "You're right." He withdrew his hand away from (Name) and pat her on the head. "Visit my corp with your pet anytime you like." She could feel his gaze as he said, "I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun."

"I won't make any promises," Grillby replied.

Avenir laughed gave a quick wave as he walked off to join the other monsters. The moment he was out of earshot Grillby glanced down at (Name) and said, "I'm sorry about him, he doesn't have any morals when it comes to the opposing side. It's a lot easier to play along than start another argument with him."

"Does he have any 'pets?'" (Name) asked quietly.

"Your guess is as good as mine."


	2. Chapter 2

The king sat back in his seat, watching his wife pace back and forth. He ran his hand through his already ruffled, golden hair up and out of his eyes. He looked through the thin tarp of his tent at the silhouettes of his subjects outside. The battle had gone exactly like how they hoped. _Though,_ the king thought, _too many lives were lost on both sides. And we've run into a bit of a... situation..._ He thought of the witch. She had saved his life, risking her own in the process. _If it weren't for Grillby's quick thinking, she would have been..._ He shook his head, some of his hair falling over his eyes once again. 

His wife gently brushed the hair out of his eyes. He looked up to see her smiling at him. He smiled back. He was constantly grateful to have his wife by his side even during a time of war, she was the only one he could let his guard down around, the only one he could trust, the only one who kept him sane. 

He has had his fair share of fighting before the war, as king it was only natural that he had to be able to protect his subjects, but it was never to this extreme. Every time he stepped foot onto the battlefield he felt immense regret. How could he have let this happen? To his subjects, to the humans, to everybody? How could this happen? His thoughts flashed to Grillby. He was one of his biggest regrets. The war had forced him to break an ancient promise to protect everything he had, only to lose it anyway. But he forced himself to keep fighting for monster-kind, for several years now. He was loyal, dependable, and ferocious. 

Suddenly, the tarp curtains drew back, revealing the General and the witch. The king quickly stood up and nodded to the general, who then bowed in return. He looked to the witch; her hair was unkempt, her face and arms was dirty, and her clothes were singed. Seeing his eyes on her, she quickly smoothed hair and tried to wipe her face of the dirt. His wife saw the small witch, and looked at her husband with a mix of contempt and pleading. The king sighed, he had wanted to ask the witch a few questions, but he knew that would impossible as long as his wife is seeing her in that state. He nodded to his wife, silently defeated. She quickly smiled at her husband, and left his side and approached the witch. She held out her hands toward her with a pleasant smile on her face.

The witch looked at Grillby, trying to hide the fear in her eyes. The queen was just as powerful as the king was, and according to the humans, twice as malicious. Of course, the monsters knew of the rumor, but it took a moment for Grillby to realize why she was frightened. He chuckled to himself and nodded, telling her that she safe. She looked back to the queen, who never lost her patient smile, and put her hands in the queen's larger hands.

The queen smiled slightly bigger, and lead her to the back of the rather large tent where the private royal bath was.

Grillby chuckled to himself as the king fell back in his chair, laying back with his hand over his face, sighing deeply. A moment of silence passed between the two monsters, the idle chatter of the soldiers outside were the only signs of movement. The king sat up from his chair, and glanced at the other, who was watching the silhouettes of the soldiers outside spring with life. Not noticing the king's eyes on him, the general turned his attention to the back of the tent, where the queen and the witch were. He watched as their silhouettes danced on the tarp separating them and the men. He leaned back onto a nearby table, his eyes never leaving the back of the tent. The king raised an eyebrow at the general. 

The king could sense that something was wrong with Grillby. He had never protected an enemy soldier, human or witch, before ad the way he stared so intensely. A foolish thought passed through the king's mind, and he shook the thought off. Grillby had said himself that something like what he was thinking was impossible. He had sworn off any and all ties of that nature in the face of the war. 

_But,_ The king thought, _it's not as if something like that isn't entirely impossible..._

The king cleared his throat, trying to push the thought aside, catching General Grillby's attention. The general stood straight, remembering he was in the presence of the king. He turned his attention back to the king.

"General," King said, "do you have anything to report about the witch?"

Grillby tried to hold in his cringe. Now that he knew how mages felt about that term, he could understand how they felt when it is used around them. The way the word rolled off the tongue even sounded incriminating, he suddenly felt sorry for every mage who had correct someone for using it. 

"I'm afraid she hasn't revealed too much King Asgore," he said curtly. "But your majesty, if I might add..."

"What is it General? You've never hesitated to tell ma anything before."

"I would like to request that you not use the term 'witch' around her. Instead, could you refer to her as a wizard or a mage."

The king stood in silence for a moment, in awe. He had never asked of such a request before, hehad never requested anything before that moment. He had requested it so curtly as well, leaving little to no room to argue. 

"Of course... But, might I ask why General?"

"I was speaking to (Name) and she expressed her people's distaste toward the term. To them the term 'witch' equates to a slur; they don't take kindly to the term."

The king nodded, more to hide his shock than anything else. Grillby hardly ever referred to someone by name, especially someone he had just met, he usually referred to people through titles or descriptors. Elementals view names as sacred, Grillby was no exception. It took many months for Grillby to refer to the king as "Asgore." So to hear him refer to the mage by name, it was surprising to say the least. 

_The last time he had heard him speak of someone like that was..._

The king pushed the thought out of his head yet again. But the more he tried, the more nagging it became. Suddenly, the queen and the mage came out of their bath, the mage was in fresh clothes and was scrubbed clean of mud. She pushed her damp hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. The king couldn’t help but glance at the general once more. The white line of his mouth were slightly upturned into a smile, but the thin line was stretched, as if trying to restrain itself. Despite the thought threatening to creep back into his brain, he turned his attention back to the mage. 

"Miss (Name) I presume?" The king said standing up from his chair and waving his hand offering her to sit down. The mage made no move to leave her place next to the queen, electing to simply shake her head, declining the king's offer. The king nodded, accepting her answer.

"I know you've just experienced a lot miss, but if I may, could I ask you a few questions?" 

She simply nodded in reply. The king began to pace in thought.

"You are a human magic user, correct?"

She shook her head. "No sir. I am a mage."

The king stopped in his tracks. He did not expect an answer to his rhetorical question, especially not a refute. 

"But you are human, correct?"

"No sir."

The king, queen, and general all seemed surprised by this answer. They had all assumed that all wizards were humans, from what monsters could tell, wizards' souls and forms were both of human nature. The wizard in question, however, did not seem very surprised by their reaction, humans probably have assumed the same.

"Could you elaborate, my child?" The queen asked, bending down and turning her head to face the mage.

"Humans and mages are of two different species," the mage said. "We have the physical form of humans, but we have significantly less matter than humans. After death, wizards turn to dust much like monsters do."

"What about your souls? I would assume they are monster-like, due to your people's proficiency with magic," the king said, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Our souls differ from both monsters and humans. Our souls are infused with magic, and are the source of it. The more magic a wizard uses during their life the more adept their souls become with generating it. If one uses little, the wizard's soul runs the risk of becoming completely devoid of magic. This makes it possible for a wizard to become a human, or at least human-like, but humans cannot become a wizard."

"And after death?" The king asked.

"That's a bit more complicated..." the wizard put her chin in her hand, rubbing her chin and lips as she thought. "When we die, our souls can exist outside of our body, regardless on how much magic we use in our lifetime. If our souls do manage to persist outside of our body, there is a very slim chance that that wizard can be reborn, but only if that wizard has profound regret from their lifetime. Needless to say, that doesn't happen often."

The monsters continued their interrogation well into the night until the first rosy rays of the sun pricked the horizon. There was the quiet sound of stirring outside. Soldiers were waking up and starting basic training with the drill sergeants, and while the general usually observed their training, he did not necessarily needed to be there. Besides, he found learning about mages much more enjoyable than watching a group of monsters running laps. The wizard yawned and stretched, trying to rub the tired feeling out of her eyes. 

The general turned his attention from out side to the king and queen, chuckling lightly as the king and queen had a silent argument. The king obviously wanted to ask the wizard a few more questions. The queen, on the other hand, obviously wanted to put the mage to bed. The king was at the queen's mercy, and she was having none of it. The king slumped his shoulders and gave a sigh, defeated. 

"General," the king said. Grillby's back straightened as he was addressed by the king. "Could you please show (Name) to the empty sleeping quarters? Prepare yourself and her for the ride to the nearest human post by nightfall."

"No!" the wizard suddenly interjected, wide awake at the thought of going back to the humans' militia.

The monsters looked at the mage in surprise, this was the first time any of them heard her raise her voice, especially toward the king. 

"Do you not want to go home?" The queen asked.

"This would be the easiest way," The king added.

"You don't understand!" The wizard said desperately. "Wizards are treated mercilessly. If they found out I told you any of this, I'd —" She cut herself off, regretting raising her voice.

"You'd what, my child?" The queen asked in a calming voice.

The mage's eyes darted around the tent, trying to avoid the answer, but seeing the stern looks coming from the king, queen, and general, she knew she couldn't.

"I'd be executed for treason." She said quietly.

The king looked at his wife, she had her hand over her mouth and her eyes were wide in shock. He rubbed her shoulder, trying to calm her down. His eyes darted to the general. His flames were a bit dimmer than before, but white the marks of his eyes glowed in fury. He was clearly trying to suppress his anger, but his internal temperature was raising by the second. 

"Of course," the king said, acknowledging the mage's concern. "General, take her to the east barracks. She will stay with Avenir and his corp, since they have the most amount of available space."

The wizard shuddered at the thought of staying with the skeleton general, she would rather not see herself turn into a "pet." But if that was what the king decided, she would accept it. Anything to keep her from returning to the human militia. She bowed to the king and started out the tent, when a warm hand grabbed her by the arm, keeping her there. She turned around and saw Grillby looking above her, the thin line of his mouth had grown thinner as he pursed his lips in thought. His hand quickly let go of the wizard when he was assured that she would not go anywhere.

"Your majesty, if I may interject," Grillby said keeping his calm demeanor. "I would much rather she stay with my corp."

"Grillby," the queen said. "We appreciate the offer, but your barracks are completely filled. There are no rooms where (Name) can stay."

"Then she can stay in my personal cabin with me."

The wizard looked up at the general in shock. He had said that so nonchalantly, as if it were the most logical course of action, ignoring the implication that that scenario possessed.

"I'll tell my soldiers that she is a dangerous prisoner of war that is to be guarded 24/7," He went on, arguing his case. "After seeing her magical capabilities, I'm sure they're bout to believe me."

The king pursed his lips, not having a rebuttal. His wife looked at him hesitantly, not knowing what he would do.

"Stand down, general," The king said, seeing the determination etched onto the general's face. Grillby's face relaxed, and reformed back into the indifferent expression he normally wore. "If you believe that that is the best decision, I trust your judgment."

The queen was clearly concerned by the king's verdict, but his eyes gave little room for argument. The general bowed and left the king and queen's tent, leading the wizard to his cabin.

"Are you sure about this, Asgore?" Toriel asked.

"I'm not completely sure either," Asgore said sitting down for the first time since (Name) and Grillby had arrived. "But, there's something about their dynamic, that I can't stop thinking about. I'm slightly worried, but I just his judgment."

"What do you mean? Why are you worried?"

"That girl..." He said his voice trailing like his thoughts. "She could be his fuel, or his extinguisher."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter refrains from calling people by name and uses descriptors more often than how I normally write, the only time names are used is after Grillby leaves the tent and during dialogue. This was to illustrate what it's like for Grillby not to use people's name's to often. An issue that you can see in this chapter (quite explicitly) and in past and future chapters. Just thought I'd let you know that. It was a pain to try to come up with descriptors and not sound redundant.


	3. Chapter 3

(Name) and Grillby arrived at his corp just as the sun emerged over the horizon. The barracks for Grillby's corp were situated to the right of is cabin. Soldiers were still emerging from the barracks, quickly separating to join their training squads. As Grillby and (Name) passed the squads, they received glances from the monster soldiers. (Name) looked at the ground, avoiding their gazes. Grillby seemed to be unfazed by their gazes as he slowly made his way past the training grounds and the soldiers' housing toward the rear of the monster base. A short distance behind the soldier housing was a smaller housing unit, much more well built than the other housing and made only for one person. 

They approached the cabin, not a word passed between the general and the wizard since they exited the king's tent. The outside of the general's cabin was undecorated, if you were to pass it, it would look like a stronger, be it smaller, soldier housing unit. The only thing that differed from the soldiers' housing was the door. The door covered in decorative metal swirls and columns, with three red gems adorning it. Grillby stopped and put a hand in front of the witch signaling her to stop when they were a good five feet (approx. 152 cm) away from the door. He approached the door and placed his hand on one on the red gems. He took a breath, and willed his form to become hotter. The metal grew red hot as the mechanisms in the door began to turn and the door unlocked itself with a light click. He drew back his hand and waved at the wizard to come as he opened the door to the cabin.

As the wizard entered the cabin, she was greeted by the faint scent of wood incense. She looked around the cabin. While it was better furnished than her housing unit back at the human barracks, it was still barren. The room held a bed, a desk, a small kitchen, and a fireplace, but other than that, there were little to no personal items, except a picture here and there. Grillby closed the door quietly behind him, watching the mage scan his cabin. 

"I hope you don't mind the smell," he said quietly. "I tend to burn incense when I'm thinking."

"I don't mind at all," she assured him. The smell was faint and pleasant, reminding her of a fireplace. 

"You should get some rest. I'm going out to train some new recruits in about an hour. You'll be able to sleep in peace."

She nodded, thinking that she would be able to sleep peacefully regardless if he left or not. Despite only knowing him for less than a day, the mage was quick to trust Grillby. She pursed her lips, admonishing her quick judgement. Though, it wasn't as if mage's were known for their poor instincts. The opposite was true, in fact. Wizards were known to be good judges of character, and for their superior survival instincts, making them deadly in large numbers. But even the best can make fatal flaws. She ran a hand through her already tousled hair. She still had so many questions that needed to be answered, and by the look that the monsters gave her as the questioning came to a close, so did they. 

Her thoughts flashed back to the message on the tree. "The light from above." What did that mean? What light could shine from the sky and burn one to ashes? She sighed, it seemed she was getting more answers than she was getting answers.

"You know if you think that hard, you might never go to sleep." A warm hand found its way to the top of her head, gently soothing out her hair. She looked up and saw Grillby standing above her with a playful smile pulling up the corners of his mouth.

"I'm not thinking that hard," she replied.

Grillby chuckled, "Oh, really?" He removed his hand from the top of her head and placed a finger between her eyebrows, lightly pushing her head back. "Then don't furrow your eyebrows so deeply," he said playfully. "You look like you could burn someone alive by looking at them."

She glared at him by the comment. He chuckled a little louder.

"Are you trying to burn me?" He said, removing his hand and motioning to his flickering fiery form. His mouth had formed into a light half-smirk. "I highly doubt you can do that. But you can try as much as you like."

She huffed, thinking that he was probably pestering her to get her to go to sleep. 

"I'm going to sleep," she said, pouting slightly. "Good night."

He chuckled and watched as she made her way to his bed. "Good night."

The cabin was warm, contrary to the cold morning breeze outside. It didn't take long for her to drift off to sleep. Occasionally, she heard the faint sounds of Grillby stirring about the cabin. Light footsteps on the wood floor, scratching of pen on parer, sizzling of food. Nothing was loud enough to wake her up fully, but she was aware of these sounds. She felt the light touch of a hand on the top of her head then footsteps becoming quieter. She then heard the door open and close followed by completely silence. 

She didn't dream, instead enjoyed the peace of darkness and silence for the first time in a long time. She woke up while later. Grillby was no longer in the cabin. She slowly sat up from the bed, and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. The light streaming from the windows was much brighter now, casting shadows on the hard wood floor. As she admired the room, she noticed a small plate of fries on the bed side table with a note that looked as if it had been quickly scribbled down at the last moment. The ink looked as if it had been dry for quite a while. Regardless, she gingerly picked up the note, careful not to smudge any of the ink.

_Eat. You won't be able to gain any energy if you don't eat._  
_Water is in the kitchen if you need some. I would make you a glass myself, but I don't touch the stuff.  
_ _\- Grillby_

She smiled lightly. It wasn't as if hadn't eaten anything in days, it was maybe 12 hours at the most, but she was still flattered that Grillby was worried about her. She put the note back down on the desk and grabbed the plate of food. It was still very warm, probably enchanted by his fire magic. She picked up a fry and popped it into her mouth. Despite it being out for a few hours by now, the fry was still crispy and delicious. She wondered in Grillby ever owned a restaurant before the war. She smiled at the thought. The tall, well-built fire elemental in a chef's coat and hat. 

_Though with food like this,_ she thought. _He'd probably run a bar._ She giggled lightly at the thought of Grillby in a dress shirt, vest, and tie. It wasn't as if it were unfitting for him, on the contrary, it fit his personality better than the heavy military armor he wore now. _In fact, it fits his personality perfectly,_ she thought as she chewed the last fry on the plate. 

She placed the plate back on the table, and slowly sunk back into bed. She thought that she should maybe wash the plate herself. But just at the thought crossed her mind, her eyelids sunk back down, sending her back to sleep. 

It didn't feel like was asleep for very long, like one of those naps where it feels like one's eyes close and when they open again, it is a couple of hours later. When her eyes opened again, it was darker. Not completely lightless, but probably much later in the day. Outside, she heard faint voices outside of the cabin. She vaguely recognized one of the voices. Under other circumstances, she would have simply ignored the two voices. But she was in "enemy territory" as the humans would say. Monsters were either hostile or docile toward her naturally, and between her arrival the night before and her emergence from the king's tent with Grillby, it was very well known that there was an "enemy" here. 

She sat up and swung her legs to hang off the edge of the bed. She willed her soul the create magical energy and felt it as it ran through her veins into her hands. Her hands started to glow pink, almost white. She closed her eyes and raised her hands to her face, covering her eyes with her palms of both hands. She cupped her palms around her eyes and moved them smoothly from her eyes out to her ears, until her palms were cupping her ears. She removed her hands from her face, laying them palm up on her lap. When she opened her eyes, her vision was hyper-focused. She could make out every single detail of the room, even those too small for the naked eye to see. Not only was her sight hyper-focused, her hearing was as well. She could probably hear a pin drop through a steel door.

"-trust them?" one of the voices outside said. 

She turned her attention to the voices, they were a several meters away from the cabin but still whispering. She smiled inwardly, slightly glad that she seemed like human to both monsters and humans. Most didn't know of her magical capabilities. She raised a hand in front of her and waved it toward a near by wall, in a swiping motion. As her hand moved, the wall behind her seemed to vanish in front of her, allowing her to see behind it. It was late sunset, and the soldiers were idly moving about their housing facility. The two monsters approached the cabin, stopping a couple of meters away from the entrance. One of the monsters was a tall, hefty yellow dragon monster with a long tail and glasses on the bridge of his nose (er... snout). He wore the same uniform as Grillby, making him a general, but had a long black cape. (Name) wondered if the cape colors denoted which corp they manned. The other monster was the skeleton general she had met with Grillby the night before.

_What was his name?_ She thought, feeling the magic drain from her hands. _Avenir?_

General Avenir rubbed his chin in thought. "I don't know Ensio... As much as I may trust Grillby, this," he pointed toward the cabin. "This might just be the stupidest thing the poor guy could've gotten himself wrapped up in."

"I've heard a few of my men say that they can use magic," Ensio said.

"Magic?" Avenir chuckled. "That's even worse. Locked inside a cabin with not only a POW, but a witch POW," he said. "Though, I highly doubt she is. The Grillby I know would have exterminated someone that dangerous on sight.

"I suppose you're right. Though, I'd still be careful around them."

The sound of footsteps were slowly nearing the cabin. (Name) highly doubted that General Avenir and Ensio noticed. The sound was faint, even to her hyper-focused hearing. By then, the sun had set, but there was still a small bit of light peeking above the horizon, painting the sky a dark gray. Slowly, the barracks lit up, compensating for the lack of light, but only a few of them were on at that moment. The generals glanced at the barrack behind them, checking if any of the soldiers had seen them. None of the soldiers had noticed the generals yet, and were scurrying about the barracks, finishing cleaning before they were called for supper.

"Where is that guy anyway?" Ensio asked, glancing around. "He would have noticed us here if he were inside the cabin by now."

"Don't worry, he's out training the new cadets. Poor bastard might be out there all night."

Ensio chuckled. "What about the human, then? I know you didn't call me out here to stare at a door."

Avenir chuckled and patted Ensio on the back. "If Grillby believes that this is the best course of action, I'm inclined to believe him."

"That's strangely trusting of you, Avenir."

"That's not to say, that if this were to backfire on him," His right eye socket started glowing, illuminating the darkness in a heavenly white. "I would vouch for him."

Ensio shook his head at Avenir's antics, but made no move or sound to nullify him. The footsteps were closing in much quicker now, maybe only several yards away from the cabin. 

Avenir and Ensio were still speaking amongst themselves, but their conversation didn't interest (Name) all that much. Mostly about the statuses and complaints regarding a few of their soldiers. The footsteps suddenly stopped. (Name) couldn't see who they were coming from, and she didn't have enough energy to see through more of the wall. This spell was exhausting to cast and sustain, her soul could barely generate enough magical energy to sustain what she could see and hear now. 

"Hey!" A voice resounded, startling (Name). "What are you two doing?"

The two monster generals jumped and turned toward the voice. The footsteps slowly closed in on the cabin.

"Ah!" General Ensio said, trying to hide his surprise at the sudden voice. "General Grillby! I thought you were training the new recruits." 

Grillby approached the two other generals. His flames were dimmer than they were this morning, probably fatigued after a long battle, an all nighter, and training new cadets, but he was still standing tall as he always was. (Name)'s energy was also starting to wane. Using this spell was becoming very strenuous. Her eyelids and head felt heavy, her balance shifted constantly, her sight started to darken.

"I was." Grillby replied. "They were already well disciplined, I didn't see the need to keep them any longer."

"That's just like you, Grillbz," Avenir said, slinging an arm over Grillby's shoulder. "Always keeping cool head."

Grillby looked at Avenir, accustomed to Avenir's overbearing nature and offhand comments. "You still didn't answer my question." Grillby said, shrugging Avenir's arm off his shoulder. Avenir didn't seem to mind his colleague's cold demeanor, and continued the conversation as if nothing had happened. Ensio, on the other hand, was sighing at his colleague, contemplating his life choices of having Avenir as a friend.

"And what would that be?" Avenir asked.

"What are you doing in front of my cabin?" Grillby said, crossing his arms as his flames rose ever so slightly.

"We heard that your human pet you brought in yesterday was in being held in your cabin," Avenir said smoothly. "We were just making sure that they didn't cause any trouble."

"They won't."

"You sure Grillbz? Humans aren't the most trustworthy creatures in the world."

"Postive. Besides, it's not as if they can open the door."

"If you say so Grillby." Avenir started walking off, followed by Ensio who said a quick farewell to Grillby and left with Avenir. Grillby turned his attention away from them, looking toward the cabin, directly at (Name).

(Name)'s power finally subsided. She fell on the bed, her legs still hanging off the side of it. Her vision was hazy, and there was a ringing in her ears. She was too tired to move and was struggling to keep her eyes open. She heard something turn, then a clicking sound. She wanted to look over and see what was happening, but her eyelids were already falling. Her eyes closed, but she didn't sleep. Instead, laid awake with her eyes comfortably closed. She heard a sigh from the other side of the room, then footsteps, slowly becoming louder. She felt warm hands lift her legs back on the bed, and the bed dig slightly as someone else sat on the edge of it.

"It's impolite to eavesdrop you know," a voice said. 

She stirred gently, regaining some of her strength. She wanted to apologize, there was no need to continue listening when Grillby arrived, but she still didn't have the strength to. 

They chuckled. "Get some sleep. That spell seemed to tucker you out." The weight left the bed, and a warm hand found its way back onto her head.

"Good night."


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this story, monsters can live for hundreds of years and elementals and some ancient monsters even longer. Grillby, during the events of the story, is around 100-200 years old, so just be aware. As if dating fire wasn't weird enough.

Days passed slowly, calmly, in the monster base. Without (Name) knowing; days, weeks, months passed, until she was nearing her sixth month of living in Grillby's cabin. Over the six months things started to change; between her and the monsters, between her and Grillby. She became almost his right-hand-man; planning war strategies by his side, speaking to him about new ideas or issues he was trying to resolve, even training new recruits in battle. Slowly, the monsters stopped seeing her as a POW, but a strong ally. The King often came by to congratulate her and Grillby for their work at training their battalion. She couldn't help but smile during moments like that, humans would never compliment someone of her "ilk."

 _They're different._ She would think. _Everything's different._

After the first few months, she ventured out the cabin and into the common dwelling of the soldiers. Everything there was racked with light and music, as if celebrating simply being alive. She was welcomed with a smile and open arms. The monsters forgot that she was a POW, they forgot that she was a witch. They smiled and laughed with her as if she had known them all their lives. 

She met Ensio face to face for the first time during one of the soldiers' celebrations. Honestly, she'd thought she'd despise the monster as she did Avenir, but he was one of the most grounded, intelligent people she had ever met. He spoke to her as a peer, and smiled and laughed with the rest of his men the same way. 

Avenir was also much more grounded than he had first let on, though, he was still lofty by most standards. He was also extremely charismatic, speaking to the soldiers with a flare none of the other generals had. Eventually, he stopped calling her "witch" or "pet" and referred to her by name. 

For the first time since the war had started, she was happy. Days passed slowly, calmly, in the monster base.

But nothing is consistent during a war.

Soon, Grillby and his battalion would head out to battle every other week. Each time retuning with less and less soldiers. The songs that always rose as the night fell slowly became more somber, until the only song that could be heard were sung by crickets. Grillby's flame slowly became dimmer and dimmer as the barracks slowly became more and more barren. Grillby's desk soon became hidden under letters of condolences rather than the half thought out scribbles (Name) was used to. While he tried not to let it show, it was obvious it weighed on Grillby. He started training his men harder than ever, trying to make up for the lost manpower. The rare smile he wore proudly faded into a wry, half-grin.

All to quickly, the first chills of winter crept up on the barracks, replacing the warm breeze that seemed to last forever.

(Name) was sitting in front of the fireplace, absorbing its warmth. She glanced outside. The sun had just started to fall, and stirring could be heard from outside. She looked at the door. She frowned slightly, wishing she could join the soldiers. The door and almost everything else in the cabin only responded to its owner. And despite her attempts to open the door using her fire magic, the door had stayed steadfastly closed. 

She looked back to the fireplace, watching the flames shoot embers like arrows. She blew into her hands, breathing warmth into her fingertips. The cabin creaked against the cold wind, letting a stray breeze slip through the cracks and chill (Name) to the core. 

Grillby and his men had left for battle nearly ten nights ago. Their absence started to worry the camp. Avenir and a small scouting legion left three nights ago to search for the missing battalion. They also still have yet to return. It had been the longest Grillby had ever been away from the cabin thus far. It was almost as if the cabin itself missed him. 

_You’re not the only one,_ She thought, rubbing the cabin floor as if to calm it down. 

Night fell upon the monster base but (Name) found herself unable to sleep from a mixture of the cold and worry. She paced around the cabin, trying to will Grillby and his battalion back into the camp. She sat at the edge of her bed, just across the room from Grillby’s. She wrapped a blanket around her, willing her soul to create at least some warmth despite her sleep deprivation. Luckily, magical energy coursed through her, bringing a welcome warmth back into her body. She fell back and curled up in the blanket, as she finally drifted off to sleep.

Hours passed as she laid in a dreamless sleep. She heard a faint creaking sound, followed by footsteps. The back of her eyelids turned red. The gentle flutter of cloth, the muffled sound of metal clanking, a mumble, a sigh. Then, all sound suddenly stopped. Seconds passed, minutes. Quieted footsteps slowly becoming louder. Silence. A quiet mumble of a language unknown. Silence. Warmth suddenly spread throughout the bed, dispelling any lingering chills. (Name)’s legs and torso extended, finally not needing to hoard what little warmth she had. A sigh. A light touch of a hand on her shoulder. A gentle rub, only to vanish a moment later. Footsteps. A bed creaking. The back of her eyelids darkened once more. Silence.

(Name) opened her eyes, but didn’t move. She didn’t have to say anything. She didn’t have to see anything. Grillby had made it back to the monster base safely. But his men did not.

She turned her head to look at Grillby. His flames were slowly dimming as he drifted to sleep. Every so often his flames would flare up again, only to be forcefully stifled. This happened several times over a few minutes. (Name) turned her body so that she faced him and his bed. Grillby grew a tad brighter at the sudden sound of movement, which he quickly dimmed. He glanced over at her. She smiled and waved from her bed.

"Can't sleep?" (Name) asked.

"I suppose you could say that," Grillby said, sitting up slightly. He had taken off his armor, but the base clothes he wore under it was still on. His white long sleeve shirt was smeared with dirt and had scorch marks on several places, some of which the fabric had burned completely off.

"How long have you been awake?" Grillby asked.

"Not long. I just woke up."

"That's a lie," Grillby said with a wry grin.

She pursed her lips. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Always know what I'm up to. You been doing that ever since I arrived on base. Knowing I've been awake for a while, the spell I used to listen to you and the other generals, anything I do, you somehow know about."

"Monster's intuition?" He finally said, sounding unsure of the answer himself. 

"Now, that's a lie." She replied.

He laid back down, folding his arms behind his head. A moment of silence hovered over them. (Name)'s eyes stayed fastened onto him, protesting his silence. He glanced over, meeting her eyes. He sighed, knowing she wouldn't let him get away without an answer.

"Are you sure you want to know?" He asked, looking up toward the ceiling.

"Positive," she said, nodding.

"You probably noticed by now that only my magic can activate many parts of the cabin, like the door. It is not as if I don't trust you or anyone else with the cabin, but the cabin can distinguish my magic from others'." He glanced over to see if she was still listening. She smiled and waved her hand, motioning for him to continue.

"This cabin was built specifically for me, as is the cabins for the other generals. This cabin is imbued with my magic, which is why it can distinguish my magic from others'. Because of that, over time, this cabin became an extended part of myself, able to sense things within and around it, especially signs of life and magic."

"So the cabin tells you when I'm not asleep?" She said, slightly in disbelief.

"I suppose you could say that, but it is more like a extra sense, feeding me information that I wouldn't have otherwise. The spell you used when you first arrived, for example, I didn't know exactly what spell you used, but I could sense a powerful magical output from within the cabin, but it wasn't hostile. I could also sense two monsters outside, also not hostile. Once I arrived I could fully sense what you were doing, but by then the situation seemed to diffuse itself."

Her mind flashed to what Avenir said that night. She never thought much about it, but it seemed odd that he would say something like that. 

"Grillby, there's something-" she started.

"If it's about Avenir, don't worry," Grillby said. "We are on much better terms than we were six months ago. Any bad blood between us has been resolved."

"Bad blood?"

"It's a long story."

"We have time."

"Not enough."

She kicked off the covers and went to Grillby's side. He looked up, confused as to why she was standing right next to his bed. She lowered herself down to the floor and sat down. He rolled to his side, looking at her as she positioned herself comfortably on the floor.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"I've told you almost everything there is to know about me, when I know nearly nothing about you." She said meeting his eyes without a hint of backing down.

"It's nearly three in the morning. We should both be asleep."

"How about this," she said without a moment of thought, "fall asleep right now and we'll stop."

Grillby rolled back onto his back, closing his eyes. The only sound for a while was both of their breathing. (Name) didn't leave her spot on the floor, watching carefully to see if he was actually sleeping. A long moment of silence passed. Grillby's breaths stopped for a moment, suddenly exhaling deeply.

"You might want to grab a chair," he said.

Grillby told her of his life before the war. He lived in a large village, full of monsters. The village was populated almost entirely by ancient monsters; skeletons, animals, and many, many, elementals. He grew up in that village, learning how to control his powers as well as the traditions of elementals. That's were he met Netsu. Netsu was traveling with her father from a very distant village. She and her father met with the other elementals in the village, and he knew immediately. He explained that trust was very sacred among elementals, and it was viewed as intensely as love. He and Nestu spoke many times during the short time she visited his village.

"There's only one other time had I trusted someone as quickly and as faithfully as I did Netsu," He said gazing at his roof.

(Name) asked him what the other time was, but he merely smilies wryly and continued with the story. 

After Nestu left, they stayed in touch for many months until her father finally allowed her to return to his village. They were married shortly after. A few months later they had a daughter, Kaenko; meaning child of the flame. Kaenko grew to be smart, like her mother, learning to control her powers within her first few years of life, and patient, like her father, never crying when things didn't go her way. She matured into a beautiful young lady. She met Avenir a few years into her adulthood, around the age when Grillby met Netsu. Avenir's family also lived in the village, but Avenir was sent to train as a royal guardsmen. Avenir fell in love with Kaenko almost instantly, Kaenko, on the other hand, would not be swayed as easily. Several months had passed before she finally accepted his proposal. They were to be married within the next month. Despite being a few decades older than Avenir, Grillby saw him as a peer. They spoke often about several things, but none seemed too note-worthy to point out specifically.

That's when war broke out. 

Avenir was called away to serve in the royal guard, promising to return to Kaenko. A year passed before Avenir returned to the village. They thought that the war was over. The village managed to escape the carnage, and without anyway to communicate with other villages during the time of war, no one knew if the war was still waging. Avenir spoke to Grillby about joining the war. At first he refused, elementals had sworn long ago to never use their powers for violence. Avenir continued trying to convince him, but each try was just as unsuccessful. Then, Asgore came to the village personally. He spoke to Grillby, telling him that the war was costing thousands of lives, and that the war front would be at his doorstep any day now. And that the only way to protect his beloved village was to fight for it. 

He left the village with King Asgore the next day. Everything started to take a turn for the better, Grillby seemed to be just the monster they needed. He fought for several years, training one of the best battalions in the monster army. Avenir was promoted to general fairly recently, and as his first campaign, he was assigned to protect a small village near where the humans had set up camp. He fought valiantly and had won the battle, but the humans would not give up so easily. They retreated to a nearby village and ransacked it of its resources, Grillby's home village. Avenir and his men tried to stop the massacre, but to no avail. The entire village was destroyed, Netsu and Kaenko were no where to be found.

Avenir returned to the base several weeks later, a new crack running down from his eye like a tear track. He went into mourning, barely ever retreating from his cabin. When he did emerge, his opinions became bitter, especially towards humans, and his usual joking became darker. Grillby met with Avenir face to face a month after his return, and his sorrow turned to unbridled rage. He blamed Grillby for Netsu and his beloved Kaenko's death. He said that if he had stayed in the village they would still be alive. Grillby did nothing to stop it. This happened only a year before Grillby met (Name).

"At the time," Grillby said, "I felt that this was the only way for him to heal. He was still so young, and I wasn't sure if he could cope with the idea that his future wife was slaughtered in a war he took part in. He needed someone to aim that anger toward, or it would destroy him. That's why we were on such bad terms when you arrived. We've been on better terms recently, he seemes to be slowly healing."

"I feel really bad about asking now," (Name) said rubbing the back of her neck. "I didn't want you to have to live through that again."

He shook his head. "No, it's better that you know. I know that mine and his behaviour has put you through some very trying situations." 

There was another long pause. It was still dark outside, but a few hours had passed. (Name) yawned, earning a chuckle from Grillby.

"Finally tired?" He said, glancing over at her and she rubbed her eyes.

"Yeah," She said, stifling another yawn. "How about you? Feeling sleepy?"

"A bit." He stretched out his arms and neck a bit.

"Okay... Good night," she said standing up from her chair. She started to her bed when a warm hand grabbed her wrist and stopped her. She looked back to see Grillby staring at his hand on her wrist, startled as much as she was that he did that.

"Grillby?" She asked, turning back around to face him. 

"Ah, sorry," he said letting go of her wrist. He looked up and locked eyes with her, both looked at each other unwavering. "I was wondering if..." He trailed off unsure if he should ask. His cheeks were starting to tint blue as the flames of his face suddenly grew warmer.

Just as he was about to finish his thought, a cold breeze suddenly blew through the cabin, making her involuntary shiver and rub her own arms for warmth.

"Cold?" He asked, a small smirk on his face.

She nodded. "Yeah, a bit." 

"Would like to sleep here with me tonight?" The words fell from his mouth so easily, as if they were weightless. The words floated in midair for a moment, both shocked at how simply the words came out.

Grillby was the first to recover from the shock, "You don't have to if you don't-"

"No," (Name) interrupted. "That sounds great, actually. Can I?"

Grillby quickly pushed himself to the far side of the bed. Apprehensively, she climbed in beside him. The bed wasn't small, but it was barely wide enough to fit two people comfortably, and even then they wer close together. (Name) almost immediately curled up it to his chest and neck, trying to protect herself from the cold. At first, he seemed startled by he actions,but he slowly started to relax. He wrapped his arm around her waist and the other laid under his head.

"You're warm," she said, unconsciously nuzzling herself a bit further into him, "like a fireplace."

"Are you comfortable?" he asked, becoming used to form on his.

"Yes, very," she said as she finally fell asleep. 

Grillby stayed awake for a few minutes, watching and feeling her every breath as she slept. He closed his eyes, falling into the most comfortable sleep he's had since the war began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Backstory about Grillby and a character you probably didn't care about until now! Sorry for the long wait... Life just haven't given me chances to write recently. It's around 2 am when I post this, but sleep be damned! Im posting this tonight. Hope you enjoy, and I'll try to get the next chapter out as quickly as I can.


	5. Chapter 5

Grillby never seemed to have enough time. When he spoke, he spoke curtly and simply, as if having no time to explain. When he moved, he moved swiftly and with purpose, as if constantly running from something. Even when he slept, his body would jolt himself awake, as if scared to lose precious hours. He has done this for as long as he could remember. No matter what he was doing, where he was, or how many years he lived, he always found himself acting as if that minute would be his last. The war certainly didn't help. Only a month after he joined the military, he started to notice he became much more restless; unconsciously pacing as he thought, shaking his leg as he wrote, even burning random objects without meaning to (luckily no one was ever hurt, but he had since started to stock pencils in bulk). He started forcing himself to stand in most situations, especially involving others. He kept his feet firmly planted and his hands across his chest. If he was lucky he could lean against something and give his feet a slight rest, but even then it was brief. He also started twirling pencils to try to relieve his unwanted energy, a skill some of his fellow generals found amusing but was a temporary stress reliever for him. 

But lately, he noticed that something had changed. He found himself calmer than he has been for his entire life. His calm didn’t last all too long before his old habits took over again, but it was a welcome change. He had been able think without pacing and speak with long, eloquent explanations. Truth be told, he wasn’t all too sure what brought about this change; though, he did have a sneaking suspicion. He has even been able to sleep peacefully most nights as of late. He glanced down at the wizard’s sleeping form pressed against his. 

Well, he had more than a sneaking suspicion on what brought about that change.

He looked out the cabin window, looking at the first leaves of spring peak through the tattered branches of winter. This sleeping arrangement had been happening longer than either of them would have cared to admit. It had been too easy to slip into this routine; her presence curbed his anxiety and allowed him to sleep easier for longer and she was protected against the cold that he warded off all too easily. They have done this since the night he told her about his life before the war, and almost every night since. 

He frowned at the memory. It had happened a while ago and while both of them had moved on, it was still an unpleasant one.

It was just after another long battle for him and his men, the humans were becoming accustomed with monster magic and had even strategized for “Hellfire’s” presence. He had lost more soldiers than anyone would care to admit. It seemed like the monsters were starting to lose hope to win the war, the humans were too powerful for them. Grillby’s finger twiddled against the sheath of his sword. Perhaps he was the one who was losing hope. 

That night, he returned home with a grimace stretched across his features. One of Ensio’s men welcomed Grillby back to camp and told him that the generals had scheduled a meeting upon his return and that they would be starting once he was ready and took his leave. He walked through camp without greeting anyone. The soldiers quietly returned to the barack without a word to Grillby, they could tell he was in no mood to converse. He glanced in the direction of his cabin. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away, he wasn’t quite ready to face her yet. He knew how much of a toll the war took on her, no matter how much she tried to hide it. Seeing how he was now would only make her more distressed than she already was. He wondered if she was lonely staying in that cabin for such a long time. It probably was. He thought about all those nights he spent in that cabin before she came along, left with only his thoughts and the quiet sound of the world outside. It definitely was.

He approached a tent, slightly secluded from the rest of the base. It was quiet, all the soldiers were being sent to an earlier curfew for security reasons. The only sound was the wind. When he entered the tent, five other generals greeted him including Avenir, Ensio, and the lieutenant general. The lieutenant general was a regal looking dragon monster, red scales running across his limbs and piercing cat-like green eyes that looked at Grillby as he sat at his spot on the table. Grillby never actually bothered to remember the lieutenant general’s name, he was hardly ever on base and never did anything vaguely noteworthy in his opinion. He looked around the tent; it was fairly large, able to fit all six generals comfortably as well as a conference table and one or two chalkboards with room to spare. As he glanced around the room, he noticed Avenir and Ensio speaking quietly about something, both seemed a bit worried. He watched as they exchanged words in hushed voices, trying not to draw too much attention to themselves. Avenir was the first to notice that was Grillby watching them and his white pupils seemed to shrink into his head. Ensio looked over and went wide-eyed as well, his mouth hanging like his words. Grillby gave them a confused half-smale and a nod, trying to signal that they could continue talking. Ensio pursed his lips and Avenir clenched his teeth as both of their eyes darted away, trying to avoid Grillby’s gaze.

Something was wrong.

Before he could question their avoidance, the lieutenant general announced the start of the meeting and the other generals took their seats. Grillby gave them a synopsis of the battle he had just returned from and told them several concerns he had. They discussed new war strategies as well as other concerns. After around a couple of hours, the discussion drifted off. The other generals looked around, glancing at Grillby and lieutenant general. Avenir looked at Grillby, meeting his gaze, and ground his teeth. Grillby’s lips pursed as he saw this; Avenir naturally wasn't an easily readable monster, but the one emotion he could never hide was regret.

Something was definitely wrong.

The lieutenant general ended the meeting and dismissed the other generals. The generals promptly gathered their belongings and slowly filed out. Just as Grillby was stood to take his leave, the lieutenant general told him that he had a few things to discuss with him once the remaining generals left. Grillby sighed, but agreed. He leaned against the table, watching the other generals slowly exit the tent.

Avenir and Ensio were the last generals to leave. As they left, Avenir paused slightly by Grillby placing a hand on his shoulder. He was close enough to Grillby that their shoulders pressed against one another's. Avenir’s head turned slightly toward Grillby. 

“We tried to protect her.” he said under his breath, just loud enough for Grillby to catch. Avenir’s quickly hand left his shoulder and the two left, before Grillby could question him.

The tent was quiet for a moment. The other generals had left, leaving only the lieutenant general and Grillby. 

“Now, Grillby,” the lieutenant general said. “There is a few things I wish to speak to you about.”

“Have I done something wrong, sir?” Grillby asked, pushing himself off the desk to stand at attention.

“On the contrary,” the lieutenant general said. “I believe you might have what we need to finally end the war.”

“I've been told that before, sir,” Grillby replied.

The lieutenant general chuckled dryly, “This is something entirely different from all this times.”

“What is that, sir?”

He cleared his throat, ignoring Grillby’s question. “Tell me Grillby, how many witches did you see on the humans’ side have you seen in the past, say, four months or so?”

“Probably somewhere around 75-100.”

“How powerful would you say these “human magicians” are?”

“Fairly powerful.”

“Stronger than most monsters?”

“Some of them.”

The lieutenant general smiled slightly; Grillby had answered correctly. “That witch POW you are guarding as of right now, how powerful is her magic?”

That’s when it all clicked; the strange looks from the other generals, Ensio’s distress, and Avenir’s remorse.

“Sir, you can't be suggesting that-” Grillby started, trying to reason with his commanding officer.

“That is exactly what I'm suggesting.”

“I'm sorry, sir, but I have to decline.”

“What?” The lieutenant general said, shocked by Grillby’s refusal. “Why?”

“The King gave me orders to protect her, her serving in our army would put her directly in the line of fire. I cannot allow that.”

“I, too, have been given orders from the king,” The lieutenant general said, bitterly. “He has told me to win the war and spare the loss of life at all costs. This witch will do just that.”

“She’s untrained to fight on the battlefield, both magically and physically.”

“So are half of our men now.”

“She’s still a child, barely a few decades old.”

“Human maturity arrives before our’s, she should be fully matured by now.”

“Her magic is still growing. She could be volatile on the battlefield.”

“No one has stopped you from fighting yet.”

Grillby recoiled from his answer for a moment. The lieutenant general was just as determined as he was; he was in a losing battle. 

“But sir,” Grillby said, half pleading, half demanding the lieutenant general agree with him.

“No more buts Major General Grillby.” The lieutenant general yelled. “If the witch does not fight alongside you and your men during your next battle, I will personally see to it that you are removed from your post and the witch is sent to the humans and executed for treason. Do I make myself clear?”

Grillby left the tent defeated. If he didn't want to see (Name) before, he certainly didn't want to see her now.

Grillby slowly made his way back to his cabin, looking up at the sky. The sun had just set, leaving oranges and reds to slowly be replaced by an ever spanning dark blue. He rubbed the back of his neck; this time of day had always made him feel uneasy, probably because watching fiery colors being consumed by darkness isn't the most settling thing to see for a fire elemental.

As he approached his cabin he started to sense more and more with in it. He could feel stirring in his cabin, footsteps pacing back and forth. He heard a faint humming in the back of his mind. He felt warmth start to spread from the inside out. He smiled slightly; despite everything that has happened, knowing that (Name) was safely inside the cabin was strangely comforting.

He reached the door all too soon, despite stalling for as long as he could. He looked at the gems adorning the door that seemed to shimmer brighter when he was around, though even they seemed upset with him. Grillby took off his glasses to rub his temples; he wondered if this sudden headache was caused by his stress or wearing his reading glasses for too long. He sighed. He was never one for avoiding his problems, but in that moment, he found his mind racing to find an excuse to not open the door just yet. None came. He took a breath and pushed his fire out beyond his hands, he felt his form ripple with a new found power as his flames started to regenerate for lost mass. The door’s mechanisms slowly opened one by one with a clank until the door creaked open just a crack.

All movement in the cabin stopped, even the sound of breathing stopped. Grillby pursed his lips, there was no turning back now.

(Name) greeted Grillby with a smile, Grillby tried to return the gesture. She gave him a concerned look; not convincing enough. He tried to lighten the mood as he told her about two of his men’s adventure through the forest when they found a small rabbit in the forest while exploring and the teasing of Hun Bun afterward. She laughed, he laughed, but the worried look was buried under her smile; not convincing enough. 

The cabin fell silent quickly after his return. He made dinner, like he always did; she sat on her bed, quietly observing him. They ate in silence, the distance between them seemed farther than when he was away. He worked, she read. She wrote, he cleaned. Nothing was said, but there was something that needed to be said. He glanced from the kitchen at her spot at her bed. He rubbed the back of his neck. While he was never the most talkative, he spoke when something needed to be said, when he felt that it was important; he could always find words to say then, no matter how harsh. Why was it that now that there was something so important to say, the words seemed to get caught in his throat?

He sat down in his own bed, legs hanging off the side. He rubbed a sore spot on the back of his neck and sighed. Was he overthinking this? Maybe he was. But under the circumstances it didn’t seem like he was.

“Grillby, is something wrong?” He heard from the other side of the room. He looked up and saw (Name) looking at him from her bed, her lips pursed in a rare look of worry.

_Everything is going wrong._

“Nothing is wrong,” he said immediately. 

“Are you sure?” She asked, retreating from her spot on her bed and coming to his side.

_No._

“Yes.”

_I’m such a bad liar._

“Grillby, you can tell me anything you know.”

“I know.”

“Then you can tell me what’s wrong. I’ve known you for long enough that I know when you’re lying.”

_Tell her._

“I’m sorry, I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?”

_She deserves to know._

“It’s a long story.”

“We have time.”

“Not enough.”

She sighed. It wasn’t the first time he responded like this, and not the last. She sat next to him on the bed, shoulder touching shoulder. He avoided her look.

“Honestly, Grillby, what’s wrong?” She asked, the worry full etched into her face.

_Everything._

He stood up, back facing her. “Nothing.” 

She stood up. Her hand shot out to his wrist to turn him around. He stumbled back for a moment, turning his head back to face her. They stood in silence for a while. She grabbed him by his shoulders, gripping them as if he would run if she didn’t.

“Grillby.” She said, looking him dead in the eyes. “You always act like you’re gonna run out of time.” She looked upset. “You don’t have to act like that with me. You shouldn’t have to act like that with me. You have all the time in the world here. I’m always gonna be right here, by your side. I’m not gonna vanish before your eyes.”

_Tell her._

He paused, lips pursed and eyes downcast. His hands went to her wrists, gently prying them off of shoulders. He dropped his arms down and held them in front of him for a while, her hands still in his; his resolve slowly deteriorating. She looked at him, worry still slightly edged on her features.”

“I-” He said, letting go of her hands. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

She didn’t sleep next to him that night. No matter how many cold breezes that crept through the cabin, she stayed in her bed. No matter how many times his nightmares jolted his body awake, he stayed in his bed. No matter how much they missed the other next to them, they stayed in their bed.

The next day, Avenir told (Name) the situation during training. She told Grillby she understood why he couldn’t tell her and their sleeping routine quickly fell back into place. But what bothered Grillby ever since was why he couldn’t tell her. Why was he so scared? Why did he act so impractically that night. 

The morning sun pricked its first rays above the horizon. He looked out the cabin window, looking at the first leaves of spring peak through the tattered branches of winter. He glanced down at the wizard’s sleeping form pressed against his and ran his fingers through her hair.

Well, he supposed he had a sneaking suspicion on why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally done!!! Whew! I was gonna start writing the final parts (the beginning of the end, if you will) but I decided that one more chapter of filler was needed.
> 
> I drew a lot of inspiration from the song "Here Comes a Thought" from Steven Universe. It's so good.
> 
> ~~Sorry no long description this time. I'm tired and it's dark.~~


	6. Chapter 6

The heat was overwhelming. Everywhere she looked, flames flickered toward the night sky, a dense walls of fire enveloping whole units in one fair blow. The screams rattled her skull and shook the ground. Suddenly a wall of white hot fire erected itself around her, the light burning into her eyes. She couldn't see beyond the blaze, but the sounds around her were unmistakeable. All she could hear were the pained screams of humans and monsters alike as they met their demise. A final scream swept across the battlefield as it fell into an eerie quiet. The flames around her fell. Another wizard stood before her, dark hair on porcelain skin. They touched her shoulder for a moment, then letting the hand retreat back to their side. They snapped their fingers.

Everything went dark. 

She opened her eyes and found herself in a tent. In front of her, another wizard stood next to a throne; much too big for him. They looked at her, their dark brown eyes could rip holes in her skin. Another wizard entered, with striking blue eyes and dusty golden hair. They placed a hand on her shoulder and started asking her questions, but the words were only vaguely understandable. She tried to run, when a warm hand grabbed her by the arm, keeping her there. She turned to see who it was. 

Everything went dark. 

She opened her eyes once again. She was staring through a wall, seeing the scene behind it. Two wizards stood near the wall, speaking amongst each other. One had long curly hair and dark skin, the other had wavy brown hair with olive skin. The olive skinned one reached through the wall toward her. She tried to back away, but she couldn’t move. 

Everything went dark. 

The heat was overwhelming. She opened her eyes to see the monster base in complete chaos. Screams rattled her skull and shook the ground. A wizard stood before her. Thick, wavy, brown hair framed their face. They looked sad. She tried to ask what was happening, but the words refused to pass her lips. The wizard placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

Words and colors started swirling around her, overtaking her sight and hearing. Flashes of yellow, magenta, green, light and dark blue, and orange were burning into her eyes. Chanting of words rattled her ears until she couldn’t understand them anymore. She tried closing her eyes and covering her ears but they were still seen and heard clearly. She knelt down trying to block out the painful colors and words. She looked up, begging for mercy, when a bright white flash blinded her. Everything was dark. Everything was silent.

“We’re sorry.”

 

Her eyes shot open as she shot out of bed, startling Grillby awake. She was panting. She was sweating. Her ears were ringing. Her eyes couldn’t focus. Her hands couldn’t stop shaking. She clutched her nightshirt, trying to tether herself to reality. 

_It was just a dream,_ she thought. _Just a dream._

Her lips stretched back, wishing that she believed her own words. Premonitions were not something wizards were unfamiliar with, they came fast and unforgivably, leaving the wizard more tired than when they went to sleep. This one was different, however. She was barraged with such a strong flow of magic that her body fully rejected it, making the premonition as if it were a nightmare. It was unheard of. A wizard’s body was supposed to normally accommodate the sudden flow of strong magic, why hadn't her’s? She has had premonitions in the past, why was this one different.

She sat in silence for a while as her mind ran at inhuman speeds. Grillby covered herewith the blanket, doing everything he could to calm her down. He didn't speak, he knew that words were alluding her; that didn't stop him from wanting to ask her what had happened.

_One thing is for certain,_ she thought. _Something big is going to happen, and very soon._

She didn't sleep after that. She was too busy fretting over the premonition. Who were those wizards? Why had they all grabbed her? What were those words that were chanted? Those colors? The bright flash? She fretted into the night, until the sun had started to peak above the horizon. Grillby had remained awake with her the entire time, keeping a vigilant eye on her, though not attempting to create any sort of conversation. If anything needed to be said, he didn’t know what. He peacefully sat by her side, patiently tending to her.

She finally shook the thoughts out of her head and looked outside, squinting when the morning light hit her eyes. It was her last day of training before her first deployment. She would be joining Grillby and his men to protect a village that had been terrorized by a small, rogue squadron of humans hellbent on driving fear into the nearby areas. 

Grillby had been personally asked by the lieutenant general to tend to the problem. Normally, he wouldn’t have been deployed for such a menial task, they had lieutenant colonels for that reason. Though, the more he thought about it, he slowly realized that he wasn’t being asked to handle the humans; she was. To be honest, Grillby did think the lieutenant general’s plan was almost flawless. A small group like the humans’ would be the perfect place to test her strength during for battle, give her and everyone in his battalion enough protection in the case that the humans proved to be too powerful, and rid themselves of a nuisance that was distracting them from the real war. It was a nearly fool-proof plan. But that didn’t mean he had to like it.

Training had gone as well as any other day. (Name) constantly showed incredible prowess in battle, able to stand against three opponents at once. The other monster soldiers applauded her for her unyielding power. Not one was sour if she bested them, in fact it seemed to light a fire under them to become even stronger. Whispers said that she could be their second trump card. Their last stand in a losing war. The last training before her first deployment only strengthened their hopes.

Even still, it didn’t sate Grillby.

They returned to the cabin in an unbreakable silence. They quickly settled into their usual routine, a thick silence enveloping them. They went to bed without a word. They tried to enjoy each other's company much more that night. They certainly could sleep together when deployed, so they used that night to sate any future need.

It would be be the last time they would sleep next to one another in a long time.

 

The heat was overwhelming. (Name) awoke to the smell of smoke and the sound of screams. She quickly looked outside to see red and gold embers dancing toward the night sky. She threw off the covers only to find that Grillby wasn’t laying next to her. She looked around frantically, trying to find him somewhere in the cabin, to no avail.

She leaped out of bed and tried to open the door. She pushed as hard as she could, and it eventually gave way. She looked around and saw nothing but flames enveloping the monster base. Humans were raiding their base and slaughtering soldiers left and right. Monsters were trying desperately to retaliate against onslaughts of human soldiers, but the damage had been too far done. Even if they could somehow protect themselves against this surge of humans, they would find themselves in an irrecoverable position. 

This was end of the war.

She scoured the area, trying to see Grillby among the chaos. She was about to leave the cabin’s porch to search when she felt a hand at other shoulder. She looked up to see Avenir standing over her. 

“You’re looking for Grillby right?” He asked.

“Yes! Do you know where he is?” She said frantically.

“He’s at the edge of the woods near the top of this hill.”

“Thank you!”

“And (Name)-”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry. For everything,” he said quietly, as if it was a shadow of an afterthought.

“Avenir…”

“Hurry! You don’t have much time!” He yelled, pushing her toward the hills.

She sprinted off, looking behind her to see Avenir charge back into the carnage, fending off as many human soldiers as he could. She whispered a quiet thanks before turning her head back toward the hills.

The hills were shallow and easy to climb, but that night it felt as if she was climbing a mountain. She reached the edge of the woods and looked around, when a certain glowing figure caught the corner of her eyes. She ran through the trees, ignoring the branches that cut through her skin and the exhaustion that pressed on her chest.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw a Grillby she barely recognized. His eyes glowed bright white, his flames were tinted blue in the center and orange on the edges, his flames flickered violently. His armor was smeared with blood, as was his sword, and around a dozen human bodies littered the ground next to him.

“Grillby?” she said, half trying to catch his attention, half wondering if it was actually Grillby.

He turned his head and met her eyes. His eyes went wide as he quickly returned to his original form. 

_It’s him._ She thought. _Thank God. Thank God._

_She’s okay._

He dropped his weapon as he went toward her and hugged her tightly, savoring the feeling of her body against his. He knew it would be that last time he would feel it in a log time.

He broke the hug and put her hands in his, looking her directly in the eyes. Their faces were close to one another, but neither seemed uncomfortable. All they felt was relief that they saw the other again. But the moment didn’t last. A loud explosion erupted from the base and brought them back to reality. He looked around for anymore enemy soldiers that threatened to separate them, but there was none. He sighed thankfully. They were safe.

For now at least.

“(Name), you have to get out of here,” he said.

“There is no way I’m leaving you behind,” she said.

“It’s not safe here anymore,” he said, ignoring her protests.

“I’m not leaving you behind,” she replied stubbornly.

“I’m sorry. But you have to.” 

“I want to stay by your side.”

“You can’t.”

“Why not?”

“It’s a long story.”

“We have time.”

“Not enough.”

Her lips pursed into a look of discontent. Every time he had said this she had tried to compromise with him. This time though, she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“Then make time.” The words passed her lips so smoothly, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

He sighed, a small smile playing on his lips. He knew that answer wouldn’t satisfy her, it never did.

His hand touched her cheek. The tips of his fingers were warm to the touch, but underneath laid something molten hot. He leaned forward until his forehead touched hers. All sound in the world stopped. The battle melted away until it was no longer noticeable. The world stopped spinning. Everything was still. He smiled but his eyes looked mournful. She probably looked the same way. He leaned down more, trying to bring her closer to him. Their noses touched then their cheeks. He paused just as their lips were about to meet and looked into her eyes, trying to gauge her reaction.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Their lips met. Their lips seemed to fit together like two puzzle pieces. She felt warmth spread through her entire body, as if his fire ran through her veins. His hands went to hold her waist and the back of her head, threading his fingers through her hair. She held the back of his neck, feeling his form ripple under her fingers. The kiss was tender, full of new and old feelings alike, yet oddly sentimental. She felt joy and love well up inside of her, but weighed down by something else: grief. This kiss wasn’t a new promise between lovers or a passionate moment to welcome in new ones. This kiss didn’t celebrate their new found feelings. This was a kiss full of melancholy. A kiss to say goodbye, one final time. They both knew this. They both accepted this.

They separated for much needed oxygen after what felt like an eternity. The world continued spinning. The battle raged behind them, bringing them back to reality. Unfamiliar voices could be heard at the base of the hill, as the clank of armor drew closer. They remained in that position. Their lips only millimeters away from each other.

“You have to go.”

“I know.”

“Run up this hill as fast as you can. The forest will give you cover.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll hold them off for as long as I can.”

“I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.”

They quickly let go of one another. Grillby turned to face the human soldiers that closed in on them, and (Name) started to bolt through the forest. She ran faster than she ever ran before. Her heart pounded in her chest, her legs ached, branches scratched her skin until they bled. 

She looked at the sky and saw a large ball of light floating above the base. There was a bright white flash that burned her eyes. She stumbled and fell to the ground, her fatigue making it impossible to stand. Her eyelids felt heavy. Her body felt numb. Her vision slowly started to darken until that was the only thing she saw.

 

_“Who is this?”_

_“She doesn’t look familiar.”_

_“Is she a human?”_

_“I don’t think so… She has a powerful magical aura around her.”_

_“We should hurry back to base to heal her.”_

_“Let’s hurry before they find her first.”_


	7. Chapter 7

(Name) awoke. Her head felt heavy and her limbs ached. She blinked. It was bright. Too bright. A sterile looking light floated above her head. White. Bright white. She craned her neck to look around the room. Other than the light above her, the room had no other lights on. The walls were made of a gently slopping tarp held up by large poles and rafters. She could make out the shapes of several other beds neatly placed around the room orderly. Too small for monsters, perfect for humans. 

She quickly sat up, only to greeted by an intense pounding against her head. She groaned lightly.

“You’re awake,” a soft voice said from the other side of the room. 

(Name) heard a snap and the entire room was enveloped in the same white light that floated above her. She looked over to the source of the voice. A girl, roughly the same age she was, looked back at her with kind, dark-brown eyes. She had thick, wavy brown hair that barely hid the bags under her eyes. The girl made her way to (Name)’s side and gently laid her back down on the bed.

“Who - Who are you?” (Name) asked, trying to let her eyes adjust to the bright lights.

“My name is Shanta,” she replied. “Your’s is (Name), correct?”

“How did you-,” (Name) started, attempting to sit back up only to be immediately greeted by a sharp pain in her back, legs, and biceps. She let out a quiet pained groan.

Shanta gently stopped her and laid her back down on the bed. “One of us had a premonition of you while you were sleeping. A very violent one at that.”   “Us?”

“You should be meeting them all in a bit. The heavens know they aren’t patient enough to wait until you awoke.”

“So… Wait a second,” (Name) said, trying to wrap her head around the situation at hand. “Are you — you all — wizards?”

“Yes, yes we are.” Shanta pulled out a chair from nearby and sat next to (Name). “It’s not often that we see one of our own passed out in the woods like you were, especially after the war started. How did you get there, if I may ask…”

“The woods?” (Name) asked under her breath. 

Memories of that night started to flash before her. The fire, the slaughter, the humans, the bright flash, the woods, Avenir, Grillby.

Grillby.

She had to find him. How long had it been since she passed out? An hour? A year? He must be worried. She was worried. Where was she? Did the monster base survive? Did he survive?

She quickly leapt out of bed, ignoring the burning of her legs and Shanta’s gentle questions about where she was going. There was a small parting in the tarps and the gentle glow of dim sunlight just beyond it. Just a she lifted up the tarp to leave, she found herself face to face with a tall blonde man, just a few years older than her, blue eyes wide in surprise.

“Well, well, well…” He said with a chuckle. “You certainly are up and about quickly.”

(Name) tried to push past him but he quickly blocked her way. She tried again, only to get the same reaction as well as two strong hands grabbing her arms and gently pushing her back.

“Where you off to, Sleeping Beauty? The least you could meet the people who took care of you.”

Shanta came up from behind (Name) half-heartedly glared at the blonde man. “You speak as if you spent hours tending to her, Kendrick.”

“Some people need sleep to survive, Shanta,” Kendrick said, playfully mocking her tone with a wide grin in her direction. “I’m deeply sorry to say that I’m one of those people.”

Kendrick looked behind him, still holding on to (Name)’s arms. “She’s awake,” he yelled.

(Name) managed to break free from his hold and was about to leave when four other people entered the tent forcing her to step back or be trampled. Finally feeling the full weight of her legs, she fell back onto the ground. Pain shot up from her ankle, and she saw a bandage wrapped around it, dried blood staining it from the inside.

How did I not feel that before? She thought, as she went to touch the injury.

“Need a hand?” A brown-haired man with olive skin and striking green eyes said, offering her a hand. “Here, let me help you up.”

She took his hand after a moment of thought and he gently pulled her up. He pulled her hand over his head and onto his shoulder to use him for support for her injured foot. “Let’s get you back in to bed, okay? We’ll talk there.”

(Name) nodded, not wanting to give up now, but finding it fruitless to resist. He carefully lead her back into bed, and laid her down with the help of Shanta. Her back stung as she laid down, quickly fading to a dull ache.

“I’m Carlos, by the way,” The brown-haired man added. “It’s nice to finally see you awake.”

“Nice to finally be awake,” (Name) replied, earning a chuckle from a few of the other wizards. 

She looked at all the new faces around her. Other than Shanta, Kendrick, and Carlos, there were three other wizards All of them seemed familiar, but she couldn’t quite determine why. 

“I’m sure you have a lot of questions,” Shanta said soothingly. “We’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.”

(Name) hesitated for a moment. So many questions flooded questions flooded through her head that they overlapped each other until all she heard was a scrambled mix of words and sounds.

“Where am I?” She finally said.

They told her that it has been three days since they found her in the forest, and that they were currently in a place known as “The West Wall” a small human military base located near the base of Mt. Ebott (both facts that made her very uncomfortable and slightly nervous). 

After finding her in the forest, the wizards carried her back to the base before any humans could find her and brought her back to the wizard’s medical bay, where they aided her in secret. Of course, the secret couldn’t be kept for long. A corporal came in one night to find Shanta, Kendrick, and Kiyoko, a young woman with long dark hair and porcelain skin. The corporal lectured them and Kendrick took the blame for all six of them.

“It was very brave of him,” Kiyoko added as Shanta told the story.

“Brave?” Zhihao, a young man with short dark hair and piercing dark brown eyes, said. “More like idiotic.”

Kendrick glared and Zhihao who wore the slightest of smug smiles. Shanta sighed and continued.

The corporal agreed to continue to allow the wizards to care for her as long as they didn't cause too much of a ruckus once she awoke.

They spoke for a while — long enough for the morning sun to rise until it was directly above the small group of wizards. 

There was a lull in conversation, and a soft rumble sounded from (Name)’s stomach. She blushed, embarrassed that such a sound came from her involuntarily. While it has been more than three days since she’s last eaten, it was still embarrassing that her stomach rumbled during the pause in conversation. 

A small sound resounded from the back of the room and all the wizards looked towards a small girl named Ebele, a few years younger than (Name) and the other wizards with long dark curly hair and chocolate colored skin with a personality just as sweet to match. She walked over to (Name)’s side, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small breakfast pastry wrapped neatly in a napkin.

“I thought you’d be hungry once you woke up, so I snuck this from the mess hall yesterday,” Ebele said, gesturing for her to take it. “I tried to keep it fairly fresh by putting a cold spell on it.”

“Thank you,” (Name) said. “That’s very kind of you.” She bit into the pastry. The pastry was slightly soggy but tasted good regardless. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Ebele replied. “Anytime.”

The other wizards spoke and joked amongst themselves as she finished her pastry. After finishing, the wizards asked how she found herself unconscious in the middle of the forest. She told them everything that happened since that fateful night on the battle field. The monster base, sharing a cabin with Grillby, training, and the night of the final battle. There was a silence that swept through the room as she told her story and that remained once she finished. It remained quiet for a few long moments when a human stuck his head through the parting in the tent. The human called out to Kendrick to speak with him outside. All the wizards’ eyes were trained on him as he crossed the tent and exited to speak with the human.

“Who was that?” (Name) whispered to Shanta. 

“That is the corporal we told you about,” Shanta replied. “He was put in charge of controlling us, somewhat of our commander.”

“Is Kendrick going to be okay?”

“Don’t worry. He wouldn’t dare hurt hurt him. He’s too scared of our powers and wouldn’t dare challenge any of us without assistance.”

A few moments later Kendrick reentered the tent, a grim expression on his face. Once he saw that all eyes were glued to him he tried to hide his thought with a goofy grin.

“What happened?” Carlos asked.

Kendrick looked over at (Name) and smiled sadly, “The monsters have just issued their unconditional surrender. The war is finally over.”  All eyes looked to her, looking for a reaction, but she honestly didn't know how to react. A part of her was relieved that the bloodshed was over but another part worried over the fate of the monsters. So many conflicting emotions clashed for control that she couldn’t react at all.

“What’s going to happen to the monsters?” Kiyoko asked after a long silence.

“They are being banished into Mt. Ebott, and the humans want a strong barrier to enclose them,” Kendrick replied sitting at the foot of (Name)’s bed.

“A barrier?” Carlos asked. “How are they going to build a wall blocking the exit so quickly?”

“That’s the thing,” Kendrick replied. “They want us to cast a magical barrier so strong that they cant break it with their magic.”

Most of the wizards took this in a quiet stride, but Carlos, Kiyoko, and Zhihao were adamant.

“What?” Kiyoko yelled, breaking the long existent peace. “They want us to imprison them? I am a woman of integrity, and refuse to participate in something so inhumane.”

“It’s not like we have much of a choice, Kiyoko,” Kendrick replied. “If we disobey, they’d just execute us for treason and bring in more wizards to the job instead.”

Carlos spoke next, “I can’t believe that they want to do such a thing because they’re scared. If the situation was different, I’d…” He trailed off and stood still for a moment before sighing, in an attempt to calm himself down. 

“You’ve always had a strong sense of justice,” Shanta said. “But it is still important to remember that history is written by the victors, and if we make an enemy of them now, it will only hurt our kind in the long run.”

Carlos and Kiyoko breathed deeply, seeing that there was nothing they could do to change the verdict. Zhihao still silently refused.

“I refuse to accept to believe that there’s nothing we can do,” Zhihao said. “There has to be something we can do to keep the monsters from spending an eternity under Mt. Ebott.”

“You’re as stubborn as usual,” Kendrick said, light-heartedly. “But what’s the word you prefer? Persistence?”

“It’s perseverance,” Zhihao replied huffing at Kendrick playful banter. “And it’s for a good reason. There has to be something we can do. No situation is completely hopeless.”

“Seems like there’s a first time for everything,” Shanta said softly.

There was a pause. (Name) had been listening to the conversation in silent thought. She agreed with Zhihao. There had to be something that they could do. That’s when she thought of something. Something so risky, so crazy that it might actually work.

“Soul-conjuration,” (Name) said, catching the other wizards’ attention.

“What?” Kendrick said in shock, wondering if he just misheard her.

“We could perform a soul-conjuration,” she said.

“(Name), no, it’s too dangerous,” Shanta said

A soul-conjuration was when a wizard used the full power of their soul to create a powerful item out of nothing. It’s a very powerful and dangerous spell, known to change fate itself. Though there was a very heavy catch. In order to perform the spell the wizard must sacrifice their soul to complete it, and once started, it cannot be ended prematurely.

“And that’s exactly why we need to do it,” (Name) said. “If we must do this, if we do it the humans won’t be able to stop us and we can show mercy to the monsters.”

“I don’t know (Name),” Ebele said. “The humans might end up antagonizing wizards more than they already do.”

“We can make the humans forget the existence of magic and monsters. It will be as if the war never happened to those on the surface,” she said defending her idea.

“And who do you suppose will do it?” Zhihao said. “I hate to sound so negative, but I feel that this is almost as bad as not doing anything at all.”

“I’ll do it,” (Name) she said simply. “I’ll perform the soul-conjuration.”

“We can’t ask you to do that,” Shanta said gently trying to calm her down. “This is our problem not your’s. You still have your whole future ahead of you.”

“My future is about to be imprisoned underground indefinitely,” she replied sturdily. “Please, I want to do this.”

There was another long pause. The other wizards looked amongst each other, trying to silently discuss with each other. 

Kendrick finally spoke up, “You seem very determined to do this.”

“I am,” she said.

He sighed and gave her a goofy half-smile, “Well, I can’t have you risking your life all by yourself. I’m in.”

“Kendrick, you don’t have to-,”

“I want to. It’s better than just admitting there’s nothing we can do,” he looked to the other wizards, “but I can’t ask you all to join us. I leave it up to your decision.”

“I want to do it,” Carlos said. “It’s the only way.”

“I will do it as well,” Ebele said. “I want to show the monsters the mercy that was never given to them during the war.”

Kiyoko spoke next, “I said that I would see this through until the end, and I am a woman of my word.”

“I will join you as well. We know you all would fall apart with out me to keep you in control,” Shanta said with a light-hearted sigh.

Almost all of the wizards had agreed to (Name)’s plan, except for a single stubborn wizard who had his arms crossed and a soft scowl on his face. The other wizards stared at him, silently asking for his decision.

“You are all completely insane,” Zhihao said, finally. “But I guess, I’m no better. I’m in.”

The other wizards smiled at each other and the still scowling Zhihao. Kendrick stood up from his place on (Name)’s bed.

He smiled, “Well, it looks like we have an incantation to write.”


	8. Chapter 8

A week passed at the West Wall. The wizards spent their days working tirelessly as the day drew closer. The humans were arranging a large ceremony to celebrate their victory, and the finale would be the imprisonment of the monsters. They worked in secret and refused to let any of the humans see their work, claiming that the humans wouldn't be able to comprehend the spell. But in actuality, they knew that if the humans saw the incantation, they would force them to change it. As the day drew closer, the wizards were starting to wear themselves thin. Despite what the humans believed, writing and preparing such a powerful incarnation took months, yet they were only given two weeks. 

Kendrick, Zhihao, and Kiyoko were working tirelessly on the incantation, constantly writing and rewriting to ensure that no detail was left overlooked. Carlos and Ebele, being the most amiable of the group, were constantly appeasing the humans’ attempt to see their work as well as requesting materials, like cloth and thread for Shanta who had volunteered to make the wizards traditional robes. (Name) had volunteered for the hardest job, she wrote inscription after inscription, drew dozens of wizard circles on the ground, and tested them all herself. Sometimes the inscriptions were far too weak to stabilize even the slightest bit of magic, other times it lashed out violently sending her flying across the room. The other wizards tried to offer their help, but she was determined to see this through herself. Everyone was working so hard to see her idea through, it was the least she could do.

Every so often, (Name) would walk under the shadow of Mount Ebott. The mountain easily blocked out any sunlight, making its shadow drenched in darkness. It made her wonder how the monsters will live underground, there was no heat, no water, no light. All the things that the people on the surface took for granted.

Shanta accompanied her on one of these walks, needing some air herself. The day was quickly approaching, and a break was long overdue. They didn't converse, nothing could be said. They stood under the great mountain’s shadow, and (Name)’s mind started to wander. How could she let this happen? Within a week, everything that she knew would change, and there was nothing she could do about it. When did everything start heading downhill?

The mage’s cant.

“Beware the light from above. They who burn the holy and impure to ashes, sending us away from heaven's' light and toward the darkness of world below.”

Everything suddenly clicked into place. The light from above; the bright flash before she passed out in the forest. They who burn the holy and impure to ashes; the humans burning the monster base to the ground. The darkness of world below; under Mount Ebott where only darkness could survive. This was fate. She couldn't have stopped any of it. But maybe, maybe, she could change it in her own way, on her own terms.

“Once a soul conjuring begins it is impossible to end prematurely, unless the conjurers are killed before it is finished,” Shanta said quietly, still gazing up at the mountain. “For everyone’s sake, we must imprison the monsters. There’s nothing we can do to prevent that. If we fail, the humans can easily replace us.” She paused to look at (Name). “But what we’re doing can change our fate. What you’re doing can change everyone’s fate.”

“On our own terms,” she responded.

“On your own terms.”

Soon enough, the day arrived. The humans celebrated their victory, a giant ceremony was held from the moment the first rays of the sun pricked over the horizon until the sun had begun to set. Just as the sun touched the western horizon, high ranking human officers, soldiers, and civilians crowded into Mount Ebott eager to see their final victory.

The wizards were dressed in traditional robes; long, intricate black robes with colored accents that differed between each person: light blue for Shanta, orange for Kendrick, gold for Carlos, green for Ebele, magenta (much to his displeasure) for Zhihao, dark blue for Kiyoko, and a deep blood red was woven into (Name)’s. 

When the wizards entered, the humans’ murmuring suddenly dropped to a whisper. The wizards’ robes were something that the humans thought were odd, even humorous, and it wasn’t the first time that wizards had witnessed that reaction. Despite, the humans’ judgement, this was their culture, no matter how ancient. 

The humans conversed amongst each other as the wizards prepared. Ebele, Shanta, and Zhihao, drew the inscription on the ground.as Kendrick, Kiyoko, and Carlos spoke to the humans who were incharge of the ceremony. (Name) looked around the room, a long, dark corridor lead into Mount Ebott, separating the humans and the interior of the mountain. 

She hadn’t noticed earlier, but a few monsters also gathered to observe. The king and queen stood before the other monsters, heads hung in shame. Behind them a few other monsters stood, presumably high ranking officers in the monster army. In the crowd, she saw a familiar glow. Her eyes went wide as that glow pushed his way through the crowd, meeting her eyes. She began to approach him, when a hand grasped her wrist. She turned and saw Ebele grabbing her wrist and Shanta close behind her. Ebele shook her head, and with one last glance behind her, She turned to follow them.

A high ranking human gave a long winded speech to the humans, which was forgettable at best. The wizards stood in a circle around the inscription, silent. As the human started tapering off, Zhihao looked at the other mages.

“It has been a pleasure working with you all,” he said quietly.

“Perhaps we could all meet again?” Ebele said.

“Not in this life,” Carlos said.

“But maybe in the next,” Kiyoko said.

“When the world is a better place,” Kendrick said.

“Fate is a fickle thing,” Shanta said.

“But, perhaps, it can be merciful as well,” (Name) finished, joining hands with Shanta and Kiyoko as the others followed suit.

The humans suddenly grew quiet, watching the mages intently. It was time.

Wizards willed their souls to create as much magic as they could. The inscription glowed a brilliant white beneath them. They closed their eyes, as magic energy fluttered their robes and hair, hands still grasped in each other’s. With a firm squeeze of each other's hands, they began to chant the incantation.

“In the underground, you’ll all will be trapped, After facing the humans' might and wrath. This spell we say, we do believe,  
Will end the fight, and peace be achieved.  
In the world above, for this final day,  
Please listen to the words we say.”

Shanta took a deep breath.

“Your struggle is not over, but you must have faith,  
That you will be freed from your unlawful fate.”

Ebele spoke.

“For us enchanters, us gentle few,  
Will show the monsters mercy too.”

The humans started to murmur. This was not what they had told the wizards to say.

Kiyoko spoke next.

“May snow fall where there is no sky,  
May gems shine like stars in heaven high.”

Then Zhihao.

“May the warmth flow, may the water run,  
Until the day you see the sun.”

And Carlos.

“Stay determined for there is a way,  
To break through this unholy gate.”

Kendrick finished.

“Seven souls, it will take,  
To finally make the barrier break.”

The humans’ murmuring became louder. A human official approached the wizards, trying to stop them, but it was too late. The moment he touched Kendrick’s shoulder, the magical energy lashed out sending him hurtling back. Others ordered them to stop but to no avail. They continued, undeterred.

Their voices pierced through the roaring energy beneath their feet.

“Us wizards, few; seven strong.  
With our hopes for peace, we seal the bond.  
The barrier will rise to trap them for their sin.  
In the hellish place, they'll be held within.”

(Name) took a deep breath. She felt the wizards souls beating as one. Hopeful, yet, forlorn. It would end here. She spoke for all of them.

“Though this day sees the humans' win,  
A silent curse to them, we give.”

She felt Carlos’ soul retreat from his form, still beating as his body faded, floating in its place. The humans and monsters started speaking frantically, unsure of what was happening. (Name) continued.

“As they rest, humans shall forget,  
As if the monsters and they have never met.”

Zhihao took a deep breath as his soul left his body. More panic swept the corridor, both monster and human. She continued, still.

“The only memory of this time,  
Will be sung in children's rhymes.”

Kiyoko energy surged forth, dispelling her body. Three souls now stood where the wizards did, as glowing markers to where they stood. (Name) shed a tear, but continued.

“The only talk of monsters they will hear,  
Will be told by whispers from ear to ear.”

Ebele whispered something under her breath as her body faded, her soul as bright and lively as she was. The monsters suddenly seemed to grasp the situation. The monsters begged them to stop, to spare the remaining few wizards. 

“The looming darkness is upon us,  
This incantation is our promise.”

Kendrick’s soul shed his body and pulses in time with the others. The monsters yelled her name. Pleading her. One voice soared over all the others, a simple yell of her name, filled with urgency and conflicting emotions. A plead. A promise. A broken wish.

“If one day the monsters leave,  
Then our souls will be set free.”

Shanta smiled as her body faded around her, leaving her soul to stand in its place, glowing softly. The monsters slowly grew quiet, realizing there was nothing they could do. She smiled sadly.

“Our souls are tribute for the spell we cast,  
To finally bring peace at last.”

She felt no pain, she felt no pleasure, she felt no touch as body slowly fade around her until she felt nothing, but the beating of her soul and the others around her.

Seven voices spoke from invisible mouths, coming from everywhere, yet nowhere.

“And hold the monsters within.”

The souls suddenly merged in a bright flurry of light, swirling different colors together before finally settling on a bright white which came and went in a blinding flash. The energy faded. The inscription had vanished. The souls were gone without a trace. The only evidence that they had ever existed was a magical barrier between the humans and monsters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ending has been planned from the beginning. And though it is sad, it was always going to be how the story ended. That being said, there will be an epilogue that will hopefully give the story a more hopeful ending.
> 
> I hope you will continue to read.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapter is the final installment of this series, and is technically not connected to the original story line. The story was and is supposed to be a wartime romance that ultimately ends in tragedy. That being said, some lingering questions will be answered and a more hopeful ending will be given.
> 
> On a different note, and I am only saying this because I think you guys would like to know and I'm really excited about this, I am now a writer for the Undertale Dating Simulator, and I'm working on part of the Grillby arc. Apt, I know.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy the final installment.

Decades passed in the underground, slowly, achingly slowly in fact. Monsters became accustomed with their new home. The snow, though freezing, was cozy enough to set up a small town; the lava, though sweltering, allowed the monsters to generate energy to power their homes; and waterfalls, though gloaming, allowed gems to shine just like the stars they missed all too much. Asgore and Toriel resumed their positions as king and queen of the underground, and soon had a child in their care. Everything all too quickly fell into a steady rhythm.

Within the first month of living in the Underground, Asgore offered Grillby a position in his royal guard; a select group of powerful monsters on call to capture humans and harvest their souls. He refused, deciding to return to civilian life. With the encouragement of his peers and the constant pestering of Avenir, he opened a bar in the center of a small town named Snowdin. Avenir and Ensio often asked him why he chose to settle down in such a cold town, when Hotland, where they both lived, would suit him much more. Grillby never gave them a straight answer, instead brushing off their inquiries with light-hearted banter. He knew though, there wasn't a clean answer to his question. Just like war, the answer was unclear and messy, full of self-doubt and contradictions. Perhaps he stayed in Snowdin because he wished to avoid the trek through Waterfall, perhaps the warm city of Hotland seemed like a heaven that he didn't deserve. Perhaps he enjoyed the quiet of the small town away from the excitement of the city, perhaps the town reminded him of the life he foolishly left behind. Perhaps saw each cold breeze as a reminder of the mage he loved too quickly, perhaps he saw the snow as her final gift to him and all the monsters she wished to spare. Perhaps he loved living in Snowdin, perhaps he simply hated himself that much. Regardless of the answer, he stayed in Snowdin, caring over his bar and watching the decades pass in the Underground.

Avenir, Ensio, and many of his other peers became regulars at the bar. While they weren't there as often as his other regulars, they would come to Snowdin every few weeks and stay until closing talking about their lives in the underground. Even within the walls of the bar Grillby could watch how the Underground changed and molded for generations.

Avenir met another young skeleton monster in the Underground, a beautiful monster not too much younger than he was. Though Avenir was still uncomfortable being in a relationship again, they were eventually married and had a son: W.D. Gaster. Gaster grew under the watchful eye of his parents, constantly studying and fiddling with the few machines they had at the time. Once he reached adulthood, he became the royal scientist and built the core just before his parents passed. Though Grillby didn't expect Gaster to visit after Avenir had passed, Gaster became a regular and lived in Snowdin when not fulfilling his duties as the royal scientist. Soon enough, Gaster also had two sons: Sans and Papyrus who he would take between the capitol and Snowdin. Those children grew up, even after their father's unfortunate end, and lived in Snowdin and often visited the bar (or at least one of them did).

A few years after Gaster was born, Ensio had a daughter who he named Alphys. Much like Gaster, she too did well in her studies and was often caught tampering with various machines in her house. Once she became old enough, Gaster had taken her on as an apprentice, and would become the royal scientist herself soon enough.

Generations passed in the Underground, all under Grillby's watchful eye. He saw young monsters grow, and old monsters fade. He understood that this was how the world worked, if there's a beginning, there must also be an end. He has lived far too long not to understand that, he has seen far too much not to know that. But, that didn't make it any less painful. Living a such a long life, like all elementals do, had a painful draw back; you will outlive nearly anyone you have ever met. But it also meant meeting more people than most people would ever dream of; Frisk was one of those people.

A human entered the Underground for the first time in ages, and had visited his bar on more than one occasion and quickly won his heart. In a strange way, Frisk had reminded him of the mage he had adored all those years ago. Maybe it was their determination, maybe it was their optimism. Maybe it was the way their smile lit up a room the same way her's did. Despite only being in the Underground for a few days, Frisk had found a way to break the barrier, setting all the monsters free.

When Grillby returned to the surface again, he found himself looking at the night sky in wonder. The sky was the same one that he had met wizard under, exactly as he remembered.

Two years passed on the surface, quickly, surprisingly quickly in fact. Grillby built a bar on the surface, almost identical to the one he built in Snowdin. Both monsters and humans were growing accustomed to living side by side once again, and his bar was one of the few places where they found common ground, sharing stories and drinks in a way Grillby only dreamed they would. Everything soon fell into a familiar rhythm.

Grillby opened the bar, and was greeted by both human and monster regulars, like any other day. Sans and Frisk came in just after the lunch rush that day, joking with each other as they usually do. Grillby occasionally put his two sense in, but only spoke when he felt the need to. Between Sans, Frisk, and his other regulars, he found himself constantly busy despite how little patrons he had that day.

Just as the sun dipped below the horizon, Grillby heard the door open and saw two people who looked at the bar curiously. It wasn't unusual to have new patrons every so often, as his group of regulars grew more people would hear about the bar and want to experience it for themselves. He was about to greet them, when one of his regulars caught his attention, pulling him away from the two momentarily. Once he had ensured that the regular had everything settled, he returned to his place at the bar. The two newcomers had found a place at the bar and was currently talking to Frisk and Sans. Not wanting to interrupt them, Grillby focused on cleaning glasses that a patron had left behind.

"hey, grillbz," Sans said with a tired smile, "could you get our new pals here a bite to eat?"

"Sure thing," Grillby said still focusing on the glass in his hands. "What would you like?"

A familiar voice suddenly entered the conversation, "You look familiar."

Grillby looked up and locked eyes with a young human-like girl. Her eyes sparkled in a way Grillby thought he would never witness again. Her gentle smile lit up the room in a way he thought he would never experience again. He froze. For a moment, all sound in the world dropped to a whisper. All movement slowed. The only indication that time was still flowing around him was the incessant pounding in his ears.

"Don't be silly," a new voice interjected, pulling him back to reality. He glanced to the source of the voice and saw another human-like girl with wavy brown hair. "You haven't been living long enough to experience deja vu."

She rubbed her neck in embarrassment, glancing between Grillby and her friend. "You're right, Shanta... sorry about that. I'm (Name), nice to meet you."

"Isn't that the same name as G-," Frisk started to ponder aloud, only to be shushed by Sans' boney hand whose eyes darted between the two excitedly.

"(Name)?" Grillby asked almost a shadow of an afterthought. "That's the same name of someone I met a long time ago."

"Who?" (Name) asked curiously.

He paused for a moment, putting a glass in its proper place on the shelf. "It's a long story."

"We have time!" Frisk interjected, escaping from Sans clutches.

"Not enough," Grillby replied.

"Then we can make time," (Name) said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Grillby locked eyes with her, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Let me get you something to eat. It's going to be a long night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I know it's been a while since this was published, but I thought I'd let you know that there is a "sequel" to War Zone in the works called, "Burn the Witch" and the first part is currently out.
> 
> If you're interested, both War Zone and Burn the Witch are under the series, "Mages in Undertale."
> 
> Hope you enjoy!


End file.
